Great Western Coffee Shop

There have been a few fires already that have affected rail services during this dry spell.

This one on the Reading - Basingstoke line yesterday afternoon

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-62483765 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-62483765)

Delayed trains.

Location not exactly clear, the BBC report says Circuit Lane but the scrub there borders the Hants and Wilts, unless they managed to squeeze the kit under the railway and into the fields of Southcote Farm, which is suggested by TVFRS
https://twitter.com/RBFRSofficial/status/1557045284697505793 (https://twitter.com/RBFRSofficial/status/1557045284697505793)

Should we ban any mainline steam trains during this exceptionally long dry period due to the high risk of them starting line side fires?  For that matter, should we also consider banning heritage steam operation?

It was reported on the regional TV news this weekend that the Swanage Railway has suspended all its steam services for the time being because of the risk to the Purbeck Heaths

GWSR's pulling steam traction for the duration...

Mark

West Somerset have suspended steam operation until at least Friday when a decision going forward will be made.

A number of recent mainline steam excursions have operated with a steam loco on the front but a diesel behind doing all the work.

Just got my tickets for a steam excursion on Sept 7th...............hope it rains before then !!

Watercress Line: "Please note that due to the continued hot weather we are experiencing, all trains to Alton will be diesel hauled. Thomas will also be giving shorter, more frequent trips within the station boundaries, visitors will be able to have multiple trips behind Thomas across the day. Thomas will be giving trips into the afternoon, so there will be plenty of opportunities to hop on!"

All these decisions seem very sensible, if rather a shame during peak tourism times.

I see a lineside fire at Stapleton Road has caused disruption on the relief lines north of Bristol.  Good job it was four tracked!

Perhaps Thomas might give way to Mendip or Phoenix?

Out of interest, are statistics kept of fires that take place alongside railway lines? Presumably some assessment of how each fire happened is also made?

Given the state of the ground, it seems very likely the coming days will see many, so perhaps it is fortunate there is a rail strike this Saturday after all!

I think Radio 4 news said this morning there had been 150 reports of wildfires to the fire service this week (presumably of all sorts, so obviously very much fewer rail related) compared to 250 in the whole of last year up to this point of the year. So not surprisingly a lot of fire activity this week, and presumably more to come.

More stats here. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62542606)

"There have been almost 500 more wildfires this year than the whole of 2021 ... so far in 2022, there had been 745 wildfires in the UK - more than a 200% increase from the total figure of 247 for all of last year."