South Western Railway to slow trains due to drought

South Western Railway (SWR) will reduce train speeds and alter timetables from 10 August due to drought conditions. Passengers travelling between London Waterloo and Exeter are advised to allow extra time for journeys, which could take up to 27 minutes longer.

The changes are a response to soil moisture deficit caused by low rainfall and heatwaves. This lack of moisture causes clay soil in railway embankments to shrink, disturbing the ground beneath the tracks. Even small changes in track geometry require trains to slow down for safety.

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Wider Impact on Rail Network

SWR’s West of England line is particularly vulnerable to these soil moisture deficit issues. This is the second consecutive year the operator has implemented measures due to prolonged hot, dry weather. Last year, similar steps were taken after a dry spring and summer.

Lawrence Bowman, the managing director of SWR and Network Rail Wessex, stated that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. He added that SWR has invested in strengthening the route and embankments since last summer. "As a result of that careful planning, we’ve managed to reduce journey times in our amended timetable by around 30 minutes compared to last year, minimising the impact on our customers while also keeping them safe," Bowman said.

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Operators in eastern England are also affected. Network Rail announced speed restrictions and altered timetables from 3 August in areas including Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Essex. Affected routes include those run by Great Northern, Greater Anglia, and c2c, as well as the Elizabeth line's eastern section.

Mitigation Efforts

Network Rail engineers use machines called tampers to lift tracks and insert stone ballast to create a solid foundation. New ballast is also added to raise track levels. Last year, approximately 62 miles of track on Anglia routes were treated using tampers. This year, 49,000 tonnes of ballast are expected to be used.