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Ontario’s heat wave has put some Metrolinx operations on ice.
It announced Tuesday that its GO trains will be running at slower speeds while the heat warning persists.
“During prolonged periods of high heat, rail tracks have the potential to soften and expand that require us to run trains at slower speeds. To ensure the safety of our customers and crew, slow orders are issued along the network which also reduce the risk of track damage,” said a Metrolinx advisory.
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The impacted lines include the popular Lakeshore East, Lakeshore West, and the Stouffville and Kitchener Lines routes.
An agency of the Ontario government, Metrolinx oversees the GO Transit and UP Express services, serving about 300,000 passengers daily.
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GO Transit also cautioned riders to drink plenty of water and to pack enough for your trip as not all GO stations offer food and beverage options.
On Wednesday morning, GO Transit had 60 service updates, including 17 schedule changes.
Adjustments include cancelled trips, alternative bus services as well as modified schedules to accommodate the reduced speeds.
Environment Canada forecasts daytime highs between 30 to 35 Celsius, with humidex values feeling like 40 to 45 Celsius. Nighttime lows are expected to be 20 to 23 Celsius, with little relief until potential thunderstorms on Thursday.
“We know that heat-related delays can be frustrating for customers, however we must take proactive measures to ensure the GO Transit network operates safely in all kinds of weather conditions,” Metrolinx said in its statement.
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The agency’s Climate Adaptation Strategy, which notes heat waves can warp tracks and increase delays for trains, highlights a number of measures it has taken to mitigate the effects of these risks.
They include increasing the “Preferred Rail Laying Temperature,” — the optimal temperature at which rail tracks are installed — to 37.8 C for new tracks to reduce the chance of heat-induced track deformation.
Metrolinx has also made embankment improvements to its infrastructure and installed real-time monitoring systems to better withstand extreme weather conditions.
The strategy, pubslihed in 2018, outlines 40 actions to ensure the resiliency of Metrolinx’s transportation services, including incorporating “climate resiliency” into technical standards and operational procedures of its $43-billion infrastructure program.
These measures also include enhancing culvert sizes and stormwater capacity, and updating emergency response protocols, among other initiatives.
Metrolinx has previously issued similar advisories, including in June 2018, when it cautioned that its trains would be running more slowly to avoid damaging the tracks during a heat wave. That heat wave set an all-time monthly record for the Greater Toronto Area when a humidex value of 45.6 was recorded on June 30, 2018.
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