Recording and monitoring rail temperatures in railway work

Railway work is mainly carried out in the summer, when the temperature of the rails is likely to exceed the safe limits. Traditionally, the risk has been managed by scheduling the work during the night, when it is cooler. Due to the climate change, periods of hot weather will become longer and the temperatures during the night will also rise. This causes more requirements on the monitoring of temperatures during railway work.
At the moment, the instructions state that temperatures must be measured. However, they do not instruct that the temperatures should be recorded or communicated to the parties managing and monitoring railway work. This, together with potential remote management, may pose a risk of rising temperatures not being identified and the management of railway work not being able to address the issue.

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency instructs that the rail temperatures should be recorded regularly and that the parties managing and monitoring railway work should monitor their development in real time and take measures, if necessary

Using a centralised computer system would be the most effective way of recording and monitoring the temperatures.

Railway work is mainly carried out in the summer, when the temperature of the rails is likely to exceed the safe limits. Traditionally, the risk has been managed by scheduling the work during the night, when it is cooler. Due to the climate change, periods of hot weather will become longer and the temperatures during the night will also rise. This causes more requirements on the monitoring of temperatures during railway work.
At the moment, the instructions state that temperatures must be measured. However, they do not instruct that the temperatures should be recorded or communicated to the parties managing and monitoring railway work. This, together with potential remote management, may pose a risk of rising temperatures not being identified and the management of railway work not being able to address the issue.