Swiss Federal Railways recorded 97 cases of track distortion and buckling during the summer heatwave in 2026, according to a specialist team.
The company confirmed the figure reported by the SonntagsZeitung, a Sunday newspaper. According to the paper, the total was almost four times that of the previous year.
SBB said the increase in track distortion and subsidence had not affected safety. Patrick Braess, an expert at ETH Zurich, nevertheless warned in the newspaper of the risk of heat-related derailments.
A task force to tackle the heat
SBB regularly inspects its tracks using measuring and diagnostic vehicles. Following the exceptional summer heat, it set up a task force to identify further measures where needed. Risk, however, cannot be eliminated entirely.
The company favours targeted measures that work over the long term. These include replacing wooden sleepers with more stable concrete ones and raising the temperature at which rails are set to be free of stress when welded, helping them withstand higher temperatures.
Could white paint help?
SBB has also tested painting rails white to reduce heat. The paint initially lowered temperatures by an average of about 4.5°C. After two years, accumulated dirt had roughly halved that effect. The heavier the traffic, the faster the benefit faded.
The company is still assessing whether white coatings could be useful in specific circumstances.
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