The heatwave sweeping Europe is not only melting asphalt, but also deforming train rails. Deutsche Bahn, the German railway operator, has recommended canceling non-essential trips due to infrastructure damage and accumulated delays. If you had a long-distance ticket purchased before June 23, you can get your money back until the 30th. Postponing the trip is the most sensible option to avoid headaches and additional expenses.
Steel expands: the physics that derails schedules 🌡️
The technical problem is simple: steel rails expand with extreme heat. At temperatures above 40 degrees, the metal can bend or buckle, creating dangerous deformations. Safety systems detect these irregularities and force trains to reduce speed to 30 km/h on critical sections. This disrupts network synchronization, accumulates delays, and forces detours. Deutsche Bahn deploys inspection teams with thermal sensors to locate weak points, but repairs require nighttime cooling and track replacements, a slow process when the thermometer offers no respite.
Traveling by train in August: between the sauna and the roulette wheel 🚂
So you were planning a train trip to escape the heat, and it turns out the train itself is a sauna on wheels with a lottery schedule. The official recommendation is to stay home, but if you insist, prepare to sweat buckets while the conductor announces yet another delay due to melted tracks. The best thing to do is ask for a refund, buy a hand fan, and watch the scenery from the couch. At least home air conditioning works better than the one in the carriage.