Winter weather disrupts Swiss rail traffic
Extremely cold weather that hit parts of Switzerland during the night from Thursday to Friday caused technical problems, delays, and train cancellations on some lines.
As temperatures in some parts of the country plummeted into double digits below zero, train traffic suffered as well, with some lines still impacted by the weather.
The most affected on the Swiss railway network is the Simplon line, which connects Lausanne with Brig (VS), as well as the Romont (FR) -Palézieux (VD) line, where trains were delayed due to frozen train switches.
Swiss Federal Railways (CFF) are working around the clock to repair any breakdowns and get the trains moving again.
“We have teams on alert ready to deploy,” SBB spokesperson Jean-Philippe Schmidt told Swiss media.
In addition, the switches are heated to prevent them from freezing
This is an important measure, Schmidt said, because “this device allows us to avoid total chaos on the network and to restore regular traffic as quickly as possible.”
There is no word yet about how quickly the traffic will return to normal.
From one extreme weather to another
This situation is the opposite of what the SBB experienced in July 2022 during what has been described as the worst heatwave in decades.
At that time, rail traffic was disrupted because the tracks on which the trains and trams run were impacted by high temperatures. causing the so-called "track warping,” when tracks expand, deform, and become a safety hazard.
READ MORE : How the heatwave has impacted train travel in Switzerland
Comments
See Also
As temperatures in some parts of the country plummeted into double digits below zero, train traffic suffered as well, with some lines still impacted by the weather.
The most affected on the Swiss railway network is the Simplon line, which connects Lausanne with Brig (VS), as well as the Romont (FR) -Palézieux (VD) line, where trains were delayed due to frozen train switches.
Swiss Federal Railways (CFF) are working around the clock to repair any breakdowns and get the trains moving again.
“We have teams on alert ready to deploy,” SBB spokesperson Jean-Philippe Schmidt told Swiss media.
In addition, the switches are heated to prevent them from freezing
This is an important measure, Schmidt said, because “this device allows us to avoid total chaos on the network and to restore regular traffic as quickly as possible.”
There is no word yet about how quickly the traffic will return to normal.
From one extreme weather to another
This situation is the opposite of what the SBB experienced in July 2022 during what has been described as the worst heatwave in decades.
At that time, rail traffic was disrupted because the tracks on which the trains and trams run were impacted by high temperatures. causing the so-called "track warping,” when tracks expand, deform, and become a safety hazard.
READ MORE : How the heatwave has impacted train travel in Switzerland
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.