Great Western Coffee Shop

Whilst waiting for my train at Fratton this evening a message was scrolling at the bottom of the display about a weather alert for Tuesday 16 August and Wednesday 17th. BBC weather shows that it will might be warm 23C. Are Network Rail expecting heat related problems next week?

This time last week it looked like we would temperatures reaching the lows 30s this week which caused all kinds of issues on the rail network this time a month ago.

However, towards the end of last week the forecast models started to show the wind coming in from a E/SE direction so not as hot as first thought. Still warm though. You would hope not hot enough to cause issues on the railways.

.......might be worth carrying a pot of white paint and a parasol, just in case!  ;)

Thanks for the suggestion, but I think I will stick with a proprietary sunscreen for now.  ;D

Today, 16th August, as I chuffed gently through the Severn Valley on the well-known heritage line, their time-table fell over when a serious lineside fire brought a 2 1/2 hour suspension of traffic. Hampton Loade has many delights no doubt, but the two I could find were insufficient to fill the extended wait while the Fire and Rescue Service did its thing. The days of lineside vegetation being cut-back mercilessly have long gone, but not the risks.

NR lines are not the only victims of hot-weather-related incidents and I can assure you that communications with the staff and pax was fully up to 1950s standards as befits a heritage line. (Nice people though).

For the sake of full disclosure, I should mention that I was accompanied by another member of the forum whose handle (is that still a term?) is buried unsubtley within this post.

You are an established and welcome double act on the Coffee Shop forum, gentlemen.  ;) :D ;D

Bring me sunshine !
But seriously I hope you both had a grand day out .

Just out of interest, who is responsible for keeping lineside vegetation under control on non NR lines?

The infrastructure owner.

Not always, I would not have thought.  "The freehold of the track and stations is owned by Somerset County Council" in the case of the West Somerset Railway, for example.  It's probably up to whoever's signed the lease and / or operates the services to ensure the undergrowth is cut back enough for trains to pass safely.

The only 'handles' that I think that can be ascribed to me are those associated with an expanding waistline....not put to that much use these days, I hasten to add ::)

More information than I, at least, needed...