Swiss trains buckle under the heat

Swiss engineers have their work cut out as trains break down in the heat Keystone

Switzerland’s national rail service says the unusually hot weather has caused a rise in breakdowns on its trains.

The Swiss Federal Railways also said it hoped to improve working conditions in future heatwaves by installing air conditioning in drivers’ cabins on its new trains.

The Federal Railways says that around 350 rail repairs are being made each week, compared to the usual average of 250.

Certain models of train have handled the heat better than others.

The Intercity Re 460 trains have experienced the most breakdowns due to high temperatures, the Federal Railways said. Of the 199 trains of this type, 14 were out of service in July.

Even the tracks themselves have buckled in the heat, causing the temporary closure of some lines. On August 5, for example, a railway line in canton Zug was shut after 50 metres of rail became warped in temperatures of 35 degrees.

Drivers have been told to be extra vigilant in case further stretches of rail become twisted.

But even though these problems have caused some delays, the Federal Railways pointed out that so far this year more than 82 per cent of trains have arrived on time, and no accidents have occurred as a direct result of the heat.

Hot air

Train drivers are also suffering from the heat in their cabins: another safety concern for the Federal Railways.

Around 50 per cent of Swiss trains currently have air conditioning in drivers’ cabins. But with temperatures often soaring well above 30 degrees this summer, some units have broken down under the strain.

In July, Swiss train drivers complained about the conditions in their cabins, claiming the heat affects their concentration.

The rail service has now decided to install air conditioning units in the drivers’ cabins of its new fleet of passenger trains and in 280 cargo trains.

The new fittings will cost around SFr28 million ($20.4 million).

Some passenger carriages have become too hot to use. The Federal Railways recently decided to stop the use of its panoramic carriages until the weather cools, as the large windows caused temperatures inside to rise to uncomfortable levels.

Rail travel boom

But the hot weather has not been only bad news for Swiss railways.

“Passenger numbers have recently reached levels similar to those experienced during Expo.02 last year,” the Swiss Federal Railways said in a press release.

However, the rise in summer passengers has caused its own problems on the railways.

Last week, an extra train laid on to deal with the influx of tourists in the Interlaken area of the Bernese Oberland collided with another train after it failed to stop at a red light. Around 65 people were injured.

swissinfo with agencies

In brief

The Swiss Federal Railways says some of its trains, in particular the Intercity 460, are breaking down more often because of the unusually hot weather.

Air conditioning units in some carriages have been unable to cope with the temperatures and rail tracks have buckled.

The Swiss Federal Railways plans to install air conditioning units in the drivers’ cabins on its new fleet of passenger trains and in 280 cargo trains.

Around 50 per cent of drivers cabins currently have air conditioning.