Heat kink at West Hyattsville (Photo credit: WMATA)

Heat kink at West Hyattsville (Photo credit: WMATA)

Metrorail customers over the next few days should bank on their rides taking a bit longer than normal. Once again, temperatures high 90s or more mean that trains running along outdoor tracks could have their speeds limited by the heat.

It’s 98 degrees right now, with a heat index topping 105, and the forecast through Saturday looks just as steamy.

As Metro did last time this order went into effect, the transit authority explained that as hot as the air is, the tracks are even hotter:

The decision to implement “slow orders” for portions of the rail system will be based on several criteria, including the actual temperature of the rail. Metro track inspectors routinely measure rail temperature using a number of devices including infrared thermal “guns” and direct contact gauges. The combination of direct sunlight and high ambient temperature can cause rail temperatures to reach 135 degrees or higher. On particularly hot days, Metro implements a regimen of enhanced track inspections, with additional inspectors and supervisors walking and riding the system for signs of heat-related issues.

During another heat wave in early July, excessive temperatures created a “heat kink” that caused a section of track near West Hyattsville to deform, prompting a derailment that put a large section of the Green Line out of service for several days.

UPDATE, 5:02 p.m.: Pack a good book for the ride home. Slower speeds just went into effect, Metro announced.

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