Scorching Heat Interfering with Northeast Corridor Operation
Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
Catenary and rails are subject to sagging and kinking, respectively, during high temperatures.
Amtrak photo
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– After several days of temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, especially near the Washington, D.C. area, NEC railroads are reporting operating problems due to the extreme heat.
For example, NJ Transit has issued the following warning:
“Due to the extreme temperatures, NJ TRANSIT is currently experiencing heat-related rail equipment issues affecting the air conditioning units and other electronic components. As a result, customers may experience delays, and it may be necessary to cancel or combine select trips for the next 48-72 hours. Our rail maintenance crews are working around the clock to make the necessary repairs and restore affected equipment to revenue service as quickly as possible.
“We appreciate your patience during this temporary adjustment and apologize for any inconvenience.
“Customers can receive the latest updates via text messages and emails via My Transit Alerts, through the TRANSIT Mobile App (including customized push notifications), by visiting Travel Alerts & Advisories for the latest service-related information, or by following us on your line-specific accounts on “X” (formerly Twitter).
“For more information and language assistance, please call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at (973) 275-5555 between the hours of 8:30AM and 5PM daily.“
Railroads in the area, predominately rail transit operations and Amtrak, have reported slow orders due to sun kinks caused by excessive rai temperatures, and Amtrak has issued a customer advisory to customers indicating that a train could be delayed up to an hour due to slower operations because of the heat. Catenary that powers many of Amtrak’s trains on the NEC can sag and create tension problems in exessive heat, although RT&S has not received any specific reports about this.
