Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve the resilience of the rail network on the West of England Line to heatwaves.

South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex are working to improve the resilience of the West of England Line to the impacts of climate change, including periods of extreme heat.

Following the soil moisture deficit experienced in recent years (most recently 2025), we have carried out extensive work to improve the condition of the route, including correcting track levels, installing 5,000 tonnes of new ballast and removing more than 200 dead and diseased trees that can further destabilise embankments. South Western Railway / Network Rail Wessex are also working with the University of Southampton’s National Infrastructure Laboratory to develop longer-term measures that will improve the line’s resilience to the effects of climate change and extreme weather.

In addition, we are undertaking a major overhaul of its Class 158 and 159 fleet, including work to air conditioning systems and painting train roofs in lighter colours to reduce the effects of high temperatures from direct sunlight.