Heatwave halts European rail and road networks with widespread derailments and delays

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11 months · 9 summary articles
A heatwave-induced transport crisis paralysed rail and road networks across Europe on Friday, as temperatures soared above 40°C in multiple countries, triggering derailments, power failures and widespread delays. In Brussels, a tram rail buckled under extreme heat at the Cureghem roundabout in Anderlecht, lifting several decimetres and causing a car to crash into the tracks . Emergency crews removed the damaged section, but services on tram line 81 remained suspended late Friday.
Swiss Federal Railways reported a complete standstill at Lausanne station after an IC1 train tore down an overhead power line, cutting electricity to the entire hub. Long-distance trains from Geneva and Biel were diverted to Renens, while regional services terminated at Palézieux, Fribourg and Vevey. Repairs were expected to continue into the evening .
In Sweden, the Transport Administration warned that rails could bend at 60°C, prompting the cancellation of all light-rail services between Hornslet and Grenaa from 11:00 on Saturday until 22:00, with replacement buses provided . Germany’s Deutsche Bahn deployed mobile repair teams after forecasting nationwide disruptions, while regional services in Schwerin will skip two stops this weekend as a precaution .
Romania’s CFR Călători confirmed that passenger trains between Bucharest and Constanța were halted near Fetești after a freight locomotive’s pantograph snapped, blocking the main line. Thousands of travellers were stranded as crews worked to clear debris .
Greece’s Hellenic Train announced a six-day suspension of services between Patras and Kamini from 29 June to 3 July for infrastructure repairs, with buses replacing trains . In Thessaloniki, blackouts and collisions caused gridlock, while Athens’ Attica Tollway and Kifisos motorway faced 30-minute delays .
Across Central Europe, motorways buckled under the heat. Slovakia’s Bratislava saw a tram derailment on Tomášikova Street, restricting two lanes, while Hungary’s M7 motorway to Lake Balaton was jammed with holiday traffic . Norway’s Riksvei 3 near Atnaosen was reduced to one lane after a head-on collision involving four people .
Cyprus reported a crash on the Limassol–Paphos motorway that injured one person and closed the left lane near a tunnel . Authorities also announced drone surveillance of key motorways from 29 June to 9 July to monitor traffic patterns .
Transport ministers across the continent acknowledged that ageing infrastructure was struggling to cope with the climate emergency. Germany’s Verkehrsminister Schnieder conceded that while the rail network was prepared, “no system is immune to every switch failing” .
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