Record-Breaking Heat Wave Impacts Train Travel in Europe

by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 3:30 PM ET, Tue June 23, 2026

The record-breaking heat wave affecting countries across Europe has dominated headlines this week as temperatures soar to 104 degrees or higher.

The extreme heat, which has spread across Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Germany, has already had a variety of ramifications, including some deadly. At least 18 people have died in France, including two children who were left in a hot car.

Rail infrastructure built for cooler conditions is also being pushed to the brink by the soaring temperatures. Excessive heat causes the overhead power lines that trains rely upon to expand and droop. Scorching temperatures also impacts railroad tracks, potentially widening or stretching them. And train air conditioning systems are being overtaxed, according to reports.

All of these factors and more are having a major impact on train service during the busy summer travel season in Europe.

Cancelled train service

While there’s been widespread transition to high-speed rail lines in Europe, that’s not the case everywhere. According to an AFP report, large portions of the network and rolling stock in France and Belgium are several decades old, made when global temperatures were far cooler. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that both countries have a history of service and maintenance cuts to their rail systems.

On older trains with air conditioning, the systems cut off automatically if the wagons get too hot. This, in turn, causes service to be canceled on routes that are especially affected by heat.

Train operators in France and Belgium have also reduced service, removing trains from operation entirely if they do not have AC. In Belgium, trains without AC are being removed during rush hours. In France, 10 percent of trains in and around Paris have ceased operating to avoid overheated tracks. 

Power line and track risks

Heat waves are not a new phenomenon, but they have worsened significantly as climate change progresses. The BBC recently reported that "scientists have little doubt that human-caused climate change - largely the result of the burning of coal, oil and gas - has supercharged the heat."

The same report indicates that over the last 30 years, temperatures in Europe have been increasing by about 0.56 °C per decade. That's more than twice the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.

The challenge this week across Europe is that, unlike shorter temperature spikes, the current heatwave is not letting up. The excessive temperatures have been in place for several days without even breaking at night. And they're expected to continue for several more days.

The record-breaking temperatures pose a variety of risks for Europe's rail infrastructure. For instance, soaring temperatures cause overhead power lines to sag, AFP has reported. When the lines (officially known as catenaries) sag, there's a risk they'll get caught on trains passing below. A massive, June 18 freight train outage in Paris is believed to have been caused by this very issue.

In addition to impacting power lines, the prolonged heat is bad news for train tracks. When temperatures rise, metal train tracks can stretch or widen dangerously, much like what's happening to the power lines above, according to AFP. Derailments and power lines are only part of the concern. Electronic signaling equipment also has the potential to fail amid such steep temperatures.

"Track buckles and dewirements are what really worry engineers," John Lawrence, chair of the Railway Technical Network at the UK's Institution of Engineering and Technology, told AFP.

"That brings derailment risks, and overhead lines can sag and catch on pantographs, halting train movements or forcing lengthy reroutes," Lawrence said.

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