Amtrak has placed speed restrictions across the Northeast Corridor tracks between Boston and Washington D.C., which runs through Levittown.
The government-backed rail agency says the speed restrictions are expected to delay travel by 10 to 20 minutes along the Northeast Corridor on Thursday.
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A SEPTA spokesperson said no service delays are expected due to the heat. In Lower Bucks County, part of the SEPTA Trenton Line shares tracks with the Amtrak Northeast Corridor.
“Speed restrictions are implemented when internal rail temperatures (not ambient temperatures) exceed 120 degrees. Amtrak engineers monitor track temperatures in real-time via electronic probes attached to the rails in strategic locations that communicate remotely with sophisticated weather monitoring equipment. When rail temperatures exceed the threshold, trains are ordered to reduce speed to ensure the safest possible operation,” an Amtrak statement said.
Rail passengers who paid for tickets but choose not to travel because of the heat-related service disruption can get a refund or voucher from Amtrak.
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“As owner and steward of a majority of the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak imposes heat restrictions when necessary on all trains that access its tracks. Likewise, Amtrak trains operating over tracks owned by others are subject to heat restrictions imposed by the host railroad,” Amtrak said.
Speed restrictions are also in effect on portions of the Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg.
