Rail operators and freight firms create coalition to transform UK railways July 20, 2022 A consortium of rail and freight operating firms have clubbed together with a prospectus to transform Britain’s railways. The launch of Rail Partners was welcomed by rail minister Wendy Morton, as the industry sets out five key priorities for reform – including the sector’s decarbonisation and the role of Great British Railways moving forward. Made [...]
Impact of infernos on the capital: 2,600 calls to Fire Brigade, 41 properties lost, 16 firefighters injured July 20, 2022 The impact of fires that raged over the last two days has been laid bare, with services stretched, emergency responders injured and multiple houses and businesses lost. The London Fire Brigade received an almost nine-fold increase in the number of calls for incidents they had to respond to yesterday, was the “busiest day we’ve had [...]
Underground back to normal after days of heatwave-induced delays July 20, 2022 London Underground returned to normal as temperatures in the capital dropped more than 10 degrees overnight. All lines were fully operational on Wednesday morning, with the Jubilee the only one to be experiencing major delays due to signal failures. Overnight, temperatures plummeted from the mid-30s to the mid-20s, as warnings about flash floods in the [...]
Heatwave: All trains suspended to and from Euston after electric cable comes down and causes fire July 19, 2022 Trains to and from Euston have been suspended after an overhead cable came down and caused a fire by the side of the track. Network Rail has urged passengers not to travel unless absolutely necessary after the London-Milton Keynes route was suspended on Tuesday. This comes after the UK recorded its first ever 40c temperature [...]
Heatwave: London fire chief calls for urgent barbecue ban as blazes rage in record heat July 19, 2022 An urgent and immediate ban on disposable barbecues has been called for by the London Fire Brigade as multiple blazes rage across the country. The emergency service said it had attended more than 1,000 grass and open land fires since the start of June, as the UK recorded its hottest ever temperature today. The Brigade’s [...]
Londoners heed call not to travel in extreme heat with near 50 per cent drop in Tube use from pre-Covid July 19, 2022 Londoners are heeding the government’s advice and staying at home due to the extreme heat, with entries and exits on the train network down almost 50 per cent. During the morning rush-hour on Tuesday, there were 1.03 commuters using the Underground, marking a 47 per cent drop on pre-pandemic levels. This was also 30 per [...]
Heatwave: Firefighters tackling two blazes in south London July 19, 2022 Parts of south London were engulfed with flames on the hottest day ever recorded, with firefighters tackling two blazes simultaneously. Emergency services attended to two grass fires in Croydon as the heatwave continues. Four fire engines and 25 staff responded to the emergency in the woodlands on Oaks Road in Croydon just after midday. Another [...]
Heatwave: 40c recorded for first time ever in UK at Heathrow July 19, 2022 History has been made with the 40 degree barrier mark being broken for the first time ever, recorded at London’s Heathrow airport. The news comes after the Met Office issued an extreme level four red weather warning for Monday and Tuesday, with it expected to exceed 40 degrees. Earlier in the day, Heathrow said there [...]
Rail network unable to cope with extreme heat as track hits 62C: ‘Just not built to withstand this temperature’ July 19, 2022 The hottest railway track reached a scorching 62C on Monday, as the Transport Secretary admitted it will take decades to upgrade existing lines to be more resilient. Grant Shapps conceded the UK’s transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat, saying that the Victorian-era infrastructure “just wasn’t built to withstand this type of temperature”. On [...]
Heatwave continues: Britain prepares for scorching temperatures as rail, retail and airports face disruption July 19, 2022 Brits are set to face temperatures of up to 41c today which is likely to be the hottest day on record. The country is struggling to cope with the extreme temperatures, with Luton Airport temporarily grounding all flights yesterday due to the heat, which melted a part of the tarmac. London’s transport network continues to [...]