Keep your cool while travelling by train this summer

Even though we haven’t experienced that much of summer in the UK yet, we are staying hopeful for some long sunny days to come in July and August.

If you commute to work regularly by train or are planning some long trips over the next couple of months, then you might want to think about how to plan for those days when the temperature rises.

Here are some useful tips and things to remember when travelling by train during the summer months:

Check ahead

With weather apps downloaded onto most smartphones nowadays, it is pretty easy to find out the forecast for the next few days. We understand that the forecast isn’t always completely accurate, however, it should give you a general indication if a heatwave is coming.

If you are due to travel on a short or long train journey during a period of very warm weather, then you will need to make a few extra precautions for your trip to ensure you stay safe and healthy.

Dress light

It goes without saying really, but dressing in light, airy clothing for your journey can make it a whole lot more comfortable.

Lightly-coloured, soft cotton clothing is preferable as it provides better air circulation to the body, leading to more absorption of moisture. Wearing synthetic fabrics can often cause you to feel like you are sweating more as the fibres don’t absorb any of the moisture for you.

Tight clothing or heavily embroidered items can often cause you to overheat – so opt for something loose and fairly plain on particularly hot days.

If you are planning on travelling for most of the day or won’t be returning home until late when the weather will be cooler, then take some thin layers with you in your bag to put on later.  

Stay hydrated

Be sure to fill up your water bottle at home before you set off with some cool, maybe even iced water. The colder the water is to begin with, the longer it will stay cool on your journey.

Take regular sips and fill up your bottle onboard when it’s running low so that you aren’t caught short when you change trains or are carrying on your journey. Remember, we should all be trying to drink at least 2 litres of water per day to keep adequately hydrated – that’s the equivalent to about 8 glasses of water.

Keep calm

Travelling during warm weather can be uncomfortable at times. But, if you then factor in busy peak-time volumes of people and any unexpected delays to your journey, things have the potential to get a bit stressful.

Minimise stress and anxiety by planning for the worst. Leave with plenty of time at the train station to walk to your train (no one wants to run in the heat!) and choose an arrival time from the timetable that gives you time to continue your journey without rushing to your end destination.

Getting stressed and worked up about things can cause you to heat up even more, so if you feel yourself starting to panic, take some long, deep, cooling breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth to bring your heart-rate back down to a steady beat.