Abnormal heat in Western Europe has caused railway tracks to deform and asphalt to melt, causing train delays and cancellations, transport infrastructure disruptions and river navigation restrictions. This was announced by Jean Rodriguez, the official representative of the UN European Economic Commission (EEC).
According to him, the intense heat that plagued Western Europe vividly demonstrated climate risks, as well as their impact and consequences on transport infrastructure.
"Here are just a few examples. Rail buckling has caused train delays and cancellations in many countries, disrupted border equipment, disrupted normal train operations, and necessitated reductions in speed to relieve kinetic stress on extended tracks. Cable and signal equipment cuts, asphalt melting and deformation, traffic light malfunctions, which caused traffic jams in cities, as well as restrictions on river navigation, which slow down traffic on rivers, and many other examples, were also recorded," he said during a press conference in Geneva.
Rodríguez referred to a commission report published on Tuesday, according to which, between 2050 and 2080, around 90% of Europe's rail network will be more frequently affected by high temperatures. In addition, transport infrastructures will have to withstand an additional 10-15 days of temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius, and even up to 200 days in some regions.
The UN ECE has warned that climate change will increase the risk of railway deformation, road surface erosion, bridge damage, forest fires near transport infrastructure, as well as floods that could disrupt road, rail and river transport. The organization called on countries to consider climate risks when planning and operating transport infrastructure, as extreme weather events become more frequent.
