And finally… Britain wasn’t built for this
From overheated rail lines triggering speed restrictions and delays, to construction sites adjusting working practices in soaring temperatures, this week’s heatwave has exposed curious quirks in British infrastructure and regulation.
First up, despite detailed rules covering everything from hard hats to high-vis jackets, there is no legal temperature at which construction work must stop. Instead, employers are simply required to assess the risks and take sensible precautions.
At the same time, Britain appears to have spent the last century designing its infrastructure around the assumption that summer would continue to occur on a Tuesday in August.
This week’s heatwave has made that assumption slightly harder to maintain: Rail services across the country have been disrupted, with speed restrictions and timetable changes introduced as rails expand and overhead lines sag in the extreme temperatures.
Wednesday saw 55 cancelled arrivals into Leeds Railway Station alone, along with a similar number of cancelled departures, affecting routes across Yorkshire, the Pennines, and down to London. Taking that as a sample indication of how Yorkshire’s ‘creaking train network’ is handling the heat, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for connectivity during hot weather.
Passengers have been urged to only travel if absolutely necessary during the hottest days, with delays and cancellations reported across the network.
This week’s heatwave is perhaps a reminder to our industry that climate resilience is no longer a future consideration. While drainage and flood risks continue to be pressing issues, overheating in buildings, urban heat islands, and worker welfare are becoming increasingly important design considerations.
It might be hotter here than in Ibiza, but Britain doesn’t suffer heatwaves because it’s the hottest place – it suffers because it’s one of the least prepared for them.
