Temperatures of up to 40°C in many parts of France in recent days are putting France’s rail network under severe strain. Rail infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau said the extreme heat had caused a points failure, affecting high-speed lines in the south-west on the country. Rails had expanded, warping the track and forcing some trains to a halt.
The incident was “technically resolved since 2 pm” on Sunday local but at the time was continuing to cause delays. Trains were diverted “onto conventional mainlines. SNCF said it was trying to prevent such incidents by monitoring “the network, the tracks, the overhead power lines and the signalling systems” in mobilisinga team 3,500 staff. CEO Jean Castex commented: “Many of these components are highly susceptible to extreme heat.”
While media attention has focused on the impact of the severe heatwave on passenger services, DB Cargo France chief Alexandre Gallo told RailFreight.com that freight trains are also being affected, He said that in many places, SNCF Réseau’s infrastructure was experiencing failures, being either unavailable or subject to restrictions on use, particularly with regard to the overhead lines.
Freight trains stuck
“As a result, many freight trains – not just ours – are being held on the line whilst the infrastructure manager’s teams carry out repairs.” He continued: “We are also having to contend with the closure of secondary lines for much of the day due to warped rails. In terms of rolling stock, most of the locomotives in service are older models and ill-suited to these heatwaves and we’ve had to make certain modifications.
“This situation was not inevitable; we are paying the price for underinvestment in the French rail network and, more generally, for the failure of our infrastructure to adapt to climate change.” Trains services have also been disrupted for the past few days in eastern France, notably between Metz and Thionville, due to the heatwave, with a return to normal expected this evening.
DB Cargo France operates an intermodal shuttle service between Metz and the rail freight hub in Paris-Valenton, in partnership with Portmann Transports, the main customer being Swedish home furnishings and furniture giant IKEA. “These problems are largely related to the overhead power lines whereas we operate diesel locomotives between Metz and Valenton,” Gallo added.