Heat shock: Train traffic in Germany massively disrupted – passengers affected!

Heat shock: Train traffic in Germany massively disrupted – passengers affected!

High temperatures are doing their part to really mess up rail traffic in Germany. Again Cologne City Gazette reports, not only Deutsche Bahn, but also other rail companies are suffering from train cancellations and delays. The causes are quickly identified: broken switches and overheated engines are at the top of the problem list. Particularly in Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Hamburg, there were route closures due to embankment fires, which were promoted by the extreme heat.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, several rail operators are issuing warnings that over 30 lines are affected. In order to ensure a certain level of mobility for passengers, replacement buses were used. In the morning there was at least a normalization of rail traffic. But this is just a drop in the ocean; Further extreme weather restrictions are on the horizon, and repair crews are ready to respond to impending storms.

The risk of rising temperatures

The current situation reflects a worrying trend that also... daily news has shown. Climate change not only impacts temperatures, but also leads to increased floods, landslides and storms. Particular attention is paid to the 70% tree-covered routes of Deutsche Bahn. But only around half of these trees belong to the railway, which makes cooperation with nature conservation authorities and property owners essential.

The responsibility is great because while strong storms used to occur mainly in the autumn and winter months, we are now seeing a shift in weather events. A broken branch severely damaged an ICE train near Cologne-Mülheim - another indication that nature is becoming more unpredictable. The risk has increased and tree health forecasts are often unreliable. The branch showed no abnormalities during the last inspection before it broke.

Measures and adjustments

In order to meet the challenges of climate change, Deutsche Bahn has been developing preventive measures since the mid-2010s. A current study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research shows that we can expect an increase in hot days and less harsh winters by 2060. As the German railway emphasizes, a further increase in extreme weather events such as heavy rain and hail is forecast in the next few years.

Thanks to intensive green maintenance on the track using new technology and higher personnel costs, storm damage caused by falling trees has been reduced by 25 percent since 2018. The railway invests 125 million euros annually in the weatherproofing of its infrastructure. These investments are not only necessary, but also essential to maintain the mobility of the future.

The problems caused by the heat also have an impact on Flixtrain passengers. They reported that ten trips were canceled and two others shortened due to the extreme weather. What is particularly annoying is that older Flixtrain cars do not have functioning air conditioning, which makes the temperatures unbearable on hot days.

The conditions appear to be challenging not only for rail transport, but for all modes of transport. Deutsche Bahn continues to look for solutions to minimize the risk of failures and ensure the flow of travel even in extreme weather conditions.