Abercynon railway track damaged in heat as disruption continues

Train travel disruption has continued for a second day after the scorching weather damaged parts of a rail track.

Road replacement services have been laid on between Pontypridd, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil due to a track defect at Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Transport for Wales advised passengers on Sunday to check their journey before travelling after services were stopped due to heat damage on Saturday.

Wales recorded its hottest day of the year as Bute Park in Cardiff reached 33.1C on Saturday, while Friday saw a high of 32.7C in Usk, Monmouthshire.

Public Health Wales has urged “people to take steps to stay well in the heat”.

Jenifer Baxter, boss of Industry Wales, a Welsh government-owned organisation which advises on the development of economic policy and planning, said the effects of climate change were a “new experience for everybody who’s living and working with infrastructure in the UK, so we have to kind of build into that slowly”.

She told BBC Radio Wales’ Sunday Supplement: “That kind of comes back to the issue around maintenance [like] which parts of the railway system do we need to change?

“Which parts of the trains do we need to change in order to manage that resilience to the ever-changing climate?”

Ms Baxter said “adaptation to climate change” was a “really big part of the work” of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, an independent advisory body that gives recommendations on Wales’ infrastructure needs.

However, she said there was added complications as most of Wales’ rail infrastructure was not a devolved issue, meaning decisions on investment were not made in Wales.

Speaking after cancelled trains caused disruption to fans travelling to Cardiff to see the Stereophonics perform on Saturday, she added: “There are things that we can’t do anything about. The reaction of metal to extreme heat is one of those areas, and there are other countries around Europe who have managed to come up with ways to solve these problems.”

Meanwhile, Public Health Wales issued guidance on Sunday “urging people to take steps to stay well in the heat”.

People are advised to drink plenty of water and wear sun cream, loose clothing and a hat. Other tips include:

• Avoiding alcohol, caffeine and hot and sugary drinks which can cause dehydration
• Closing blinds and curtains on windows when in direct sunlight
• Using an electrical fan to help cool space if temperatures are below 35°C

“Hot weather is a particular risk to children, older people and those with pre-existing health conditions,” warned Dr Giri Shankar, director of health protection.

“It’s important that we look out for our family, friends and neighbours while temperatures stay high.”