Heat-induced track warping spikes, expert urges swift safety measures
Swiss Federal Railways recorded 97 heat-related track deformations, prompting an ETH professor to warn of heightened derailment risk.
The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) reported 97 instances where tracks warped due to high temperatures. ETH professor Patrick Braess criticized the railway and federal authorities for inaction and cautioned that the danger of derailments is growing. He recommended that SBB paint tracks white to reflect heat and reduce deformation. The expert’s warning highlights a pressing safety concern for rail passengers.
Why it matters
Track warping threatens passenger safety and could disrupt Switzerland's rail network.
In this story
track deformationheatderailment riskwhite paintrail safetySwiss Federal RailwaysPatrick Braess
