scope:

Where weather forecasts or local intelligence indicate Hot Weather for the following day that will be likely to require the imposition of ESRs, then this procedure shall apply.

This procedure shall apply for:

a) Exceptionally Hot Weather, where air temperature requires blanket speed restrictions

b) Hot weather, where rail temperature requires site-specific speed restrictions

c) Hot weather, where air temperature requires asset-specific speed restrictions

Hot Weather related ESR might be required to mitigate risks associated with:

a) Track buckles

b) Track circuit failures

c) Points failures (through loss of detection)

d) Overhead line sag

e) Overheating relay rooms

This procedure shall be managed in line with the general style of standard NR/CS/OPS/021 Weather - Managing the Operational Risks, and shall normally require the implementation of the Extreme Weather Action Team (EWAT) plan for Red Alert status.

Route Directors, Route Control Managers, Route/Area Operations Managers and Infrastructure Maintenance Delivery Managers shall make their staff aware of their roles in these arrangements.

Purpose

This document states the procedure for the management of heat related Emergency Speed Restrictions (ESR) resulting from a forecast of Hot Weather. The purpose of the standard is to maintain operational safety yet reduce the performance impact of unnecessary heat related blanket ESR. This procedure supports NR/CS/OPS/021.