AUSTIN, Texas — Due to the intense heat sweeping through Texas right now, CapMetro is slowing its commuter trains down during the day, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. To stay up to date with your train arrival times, sign up for MetroAlerts here.

According to Physics Central, slowing down trains in extreme heat is not uncommon. During the hot temperatures, the metal train tracks may expand, causing friction between the train and its tracks. American tracks are welded together and tied down, making it hard for them to expand in length. Thus, when the tracks are already hot from the weather, a train running across them may heat them up even more, causing them to expand outwards.

While one is unable to change the weight of the train or the diameter of the train’s wheels, one of the variables that can be controlled in these circumstances is the speed of the locomotive. The slower the train operates, the less stress the tracks will be under. Thus, trains are slowed down with the hope that they can travel from point A to point B without much delay or the potential for derailment.