The summer heatwave led to major problems on the tracks.
Keystone / Gaetan Bally
Due to the summer heatwave, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has recorded nearly 100 cases of track warping and compression deformation. In response to the exceptional heat of summer 2026, the company set up a working group.
When asked about this, SBB confirmed the figure of 97 cases of warping and compression-induced deformation reported in the SonntagsZeitung. According to the newspaper, this figure is nearly four times higher than that of the previous year.
The railway company emphasised that the increase in the number of deformations or settlement had no impact on safety. Patrick Braess, an expert from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, however, warned in the newspaper of the risk of heat-related derailments.
+ Extreme heat impacts train travel in Switzerland
SBB regularly inspects its tracks using measurement and diagnostic vehicles. Given last summer’s exceptional heat, SBB set up a working group tasked with identifying additional measures where necessary. But there is no such thing as zero risk.
SBB is focusing above all on targeted and effective long-term measures. These include, in particular, the use of concrete sleepers, which offer greater stability than wooden sleepers, as well as increasing the neutralisation temperature during welding, so that the rails can better withstand the generally higher temperatures.
White paint – a solution?
SBB has tested white paint as a measure against heat. The cooling effect was initially around 4.5 degrees on average. After two years, this effect had diminished to around half due to soiling, reported SBB. The heavier the traffic, the more rapidly the effect diminishes.
However, as part of an ongoing analysis, the SBB is examining whether white coatings could be a suitable measure in certain specific cases.
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Translated from French reviewed by an English Department journalist.
