11 months · 10 summary articles
Europe’s railways are buckling under a continent-wide heatwave, with national operators from Slovakia to Sweden imposing speed restrictions, delays and even full suspensions as temperatures soar above 35 °C. Slovakia’s Železnice announced on Friday that it would slow trains preventively, warning passengers to expect delays on international services and routes in the west and north of the country . Sweden’s Trafikverket told travellers on Friday that weekend cancellations would continue, citing “extreme heat” that risks warping tracks and overheating overhead wires .
Germany’s Deutsche Bahn said the same heat could bend rails at 60 °C and warned of “nationwide disruptions and delays” through Sunday, while promising free mineral water at major stations . Neighbouring Romania’s CFR SA and CFR Călători both confirmed speed limits and possible cancellations from Saturday as the national meteorological service issued a red alert for extreme heat . In Belgium, an Eurostar train broke down near Leuven on Friday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of passengers and the deployment of emergency services .
The disruptions come as Europe’s transport networks face compounded pressure. Norway’s Trafikverket reported a freight derailment outside Gothenburg that could take weeks to clear, while Swedish authorities cautioned that melting asphalt would further complicate road traffic . In Romania, the Giurgiu–Ruse bridge over the Danube will close to all vehicles on Saturday afternoon for a boat parade and fireworks display, cutting the main road link between Romania and Bulgaria from 14:00 to 18:00 local time .
Rail operators stressed that the measures are precautionary. Deutsche Bahn said a software fault in its new radio system—not the heat—caused a nationwide outage on Tuesday night, but added that future maintenance will avoid active systems between midnight and 04:00 to prevent recurrence . Romania’s CFR SA said it was conducting line inspections and could impose further speed limits if temperatures rise .
With forecasters predicting no respite before next week, passengers across Central and Northern Europe are advised to check operator websites and allow extra travel time through Sunday.
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