The hottest day of the year in Switzerland caused a headache for the Swiss Federal Railways. Track damage occurred on Wednesday in the Zurich Oberland, canton Aargau near Brugg and in the Geneva area.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Railways spokesman Raffael Hirt confirmed that lines had been interrupted in Zurich between Pfäffikon and Wetzikon and in Aargau between Wildegg and Brugg.
In Geneva the stretch between Meyrin and La Plaine was blocked between noon and 3.15pm. Tracks in this region had previously been damaged by the heatwave at the end of June and beginning of July.
The fact that the tracks do not warp until the evening – because they store the day’s heat – meant that the disruptions had not had a major impact on passengers, Hirt claimed.
If necessary, the rails are cooled with water from a tanker on hot days. The Federal Railways is also examining measures to make its rails more heat-resistant. One of these is painting the sides of the rails with white paint. According to the Federal Railways, studies show that white rails remain up to 7°C cooler.
Another measure being tested is increasing the neutralisation temperatureExternal link of the rails. This is the temperature to which a rail is heated before it is welded into the track bed. The theory is that an increase in this temperature minimises temperature-related compressive forces.
Record temperatures
Switzerland and northwestern Europe are this week experiencing a second heatwave after the one at the end of June. The government has declared a heatwave warning danger level of 3 out of a maximum 5 for the northern side of the Alps, the Valais and southern Ticino. This can mean anywhere from 29°C (84°F) with 75% relative humidity to 34° with 30% humidity. The risk of fire is also high in parts of central and southern Switzerland.
On Wednesday, the town of Sion recorded the highest temperature of the year at 38°C. The highest-ever recorded in Switzerland is 41.5°C on August 11, 2003 in the village of Grono, canton Graubünden, in south-eastern Switzerland.
More
More
How to behave on a Swiss train
This content was published on
Jump on, ride to your stop, hop off — without offending anybody. Sounds easy, but it’s not, warns a guru of Swiss transport etiquette.
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
Swiss foreign minister rejects mandatory referendum for EU deals
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis defended the government’s decision to make EU deals subject to an optional rather than a mandatory referendum.
Pro-choice and anti-abortion activists face off in Geneva
This content was published on
Anti-abortion Christian groups held a silent prayer in front of the Geneva train station on Saturday, to the whistles and shouts of pro-choice demonstrators.
Swiss army soldier seriously injured in accident on Simplon Pass
This content was published on
A member of the Swiss army was seriously injured on Friday while manoeuvring a self-propelled howitzer on the Simplon Pass.
Basel attempts world‘s largest over-60s disco before Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
It was billed as a world record attempt for the biggest over-60s disco of all time. But most visitors came to Basel to have fun.
Basel prepares 700 volunteers for the Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
Around 320 people took part in one of the two official information events for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Basel on Friday.
More Swiss soldiers involved in accidents during training in Austria
This content was published on
The Swiss army has reported various accidents involving Swiss soldiers during the exercise “TRIAS 25” in Austria. Some have led to hospitalisations.
Swiss court rules vegan meat substitutes can’t use animal names
This content was published on
Vegan meat substitutes may not bear animal names such as “planted.chicken” according to a ruling by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
Swiss cantons spared duty to create new traveller transit sites
This content was published on
Swiss cantons will no longer be formally obliged by the government to create new transit sites for the travelling community.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss railway field tests white paint to keep tracks from buckling
This content was published on
The Rhaetian Railway in the eastern canton of Graubünden is testing a technique commonly used in Italy to fight the distorting effects of heat on metal.
Bears get 15-kilo ice lollies to cool down in heatwave
This content was published on
Bears at Servion Zoo in western Switzerland have been given ice lollies to help them keep cool as a heat wave intensifies across parts of the country.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.