When Rails Melt
How the June 2026 heatwave impacted European railways
The hidden cost of heatwaves
That's the amount of additional delay during the heatwave, on top of typical delays
This and the following statistics are based on train delays collected from May 1 to July 5, 2026 in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland
Cool days vs. hot days
Rail networks get more disrupted on hot days, as delays and cancellations go up
When temperatures exceed 30°C, rail tracks expand, overhead lines sag, and speed restrictions kick in. The result: longer delays and more cancelled trains across Europe.
Every degree counts
For each additional degree above 30°, trains are on average 20 seconds more delayed
Which countries feel the heat most?
Some countries are more impacted by disruptions on hot days than others
Where heat hits hardest
Each dot is a station, colored by how much more delayed it gets on days above 30°C.
Temperature: average max temperature per 11 km grid cell.
Stations with insufficient data are filtered out.
Dive deep
See all the heatwave stats based on data from May 1 to July 5, 2026
Train delay and cancellation data collected by chuuchuu from May 1 until July 5, 2026. Data covers long distance and regional trains.
Temperature: average max temperature across major cities per country.
Average delay: average of the highest arrival delay per train trip.
Cancellation rate: number of cancelled stops divided by the total number of stops.
Heat is the new normal
As summers get hotter, train disruptions rise too. Plan ahead. chuuchuu helps you find the most reliable routes, even when the mercury rises.
Beat the heat! Avoid disruptions
chuuchuu helps you choose journeys with the best on-time track record
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