In the D.C. area, the summer solstice has brought a reminder that heat doesn’t just make people sluggish. It can affect transportation infrastructure too.
Metro has instituted a systemwide speed restriction, limiting all trains to a maximum of 35 mph when they’re above ground due to rail temperatures exceeding 135 degrees Fahrenheit. The limit took effect today (Thursday) at 2 p.m.
“We will provide an update when rail temperatures return to normal,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said on Twitter.
According to WMATA, extreme heat causes rails to expand, creating potential safety issues.
Due to rail temperatures above 135 degrees, as of 2 p.m., there is an above-ground speed restriction of 35 mph in effect systemwide. We will provide an update when rail temperatures return to normal. #wmata pic.twitter.com/etjyxsPyIe
— Metro Forward (@wmata) June 20, 2024
A Metro spokesperson says 135 degrees is “an industry standard” for slowing down trains due to heat that the transit agency has “had in place for a while.” Typical train speeds vary based on where they are.
“Metro trains operate at different speeds depending on where they’re at on the system,” WMATA Media Relations Manager Jordan Pascale said by email. “Long stretches (like on the suburban parts of the Red and Silver Lines for example) can operate up to 59 mph, while trains in the core operate at slower speeds since stations are much closer together.”
Temperatures in Fairfax County are currently in the upper 80s, though the National Weather Service forecast a high for today of 91 degrees.
Though no alerts have been issued yet, the summer weather is expected to get more intense this weekend, as a heat wave that has affected the northeastern U.S. throughout the week peaks in the Mid-Atlantic region. Thunderstorms are possible later on Saturday and Sunday (June 22 and 23), according to the Capital Weather Gang.
“All these rain and thunderstorm areas are taking place along the periphery of an upper ridge/heat dome that edges from the Mid-Atlantic into the Mid-South over the next couple of days and sustains a heat wave across the Great Lakes, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic,” the NWS Weather Prediction Center said in a short-range forecast issued this morning. “Afternoon high temperatures and warm overnight lows will challenge daily records and even some monthly and all-time records.”
If the NWS issues a warning or advisory, Fairfax County will activate its heat plan, which designates many public facilities, including libraries, community centers and homeless shelters, as cooling centers where individuals can stay and get water bottles, sunscreen and other resources.
