Heat-wave causes summer train delays in Sweden

A railway platform in Stockholm, Sweden. (iStock)
A railway platform in Stockholm, Sweden. (iStock)
Delayed or cancelled trains have put a damper on many a vacation plan this summer. Part of the the problem was the unusual heat wave, that caused parts of the rail network to shut down in July.

Statistics from the Swedish Transport Administration show that almost 13 percent of all trains for personal travel were cancelled or delayed in July. The authority says the extreme weather, with unusually high temperatures and plenty of lightning, was partly to blame for cable malfunctions and problems with the tracks. The network is not prepared to handle this type of weather for a longer period of time.

This August, the Transport Administration will carry out extensive repair work in order to restore the tracks. They will also discuss the problems the network this summer to see what can be improved.

June was also a low point when it came to punctuality, which was largely due to the prolonged strike action among rail employees in the south of Sweden.

Related stories from around the North:

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Sweden: Elk collisions derailing train traffic in Sweden’s North, Radio Sweden

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