Extreme temperatures affect not only the railway infrastructure, but also the people who keep the trains running. The ETF warns that exposure to heat can reduce train drivers’ reaction times and ability to concentrate, whilst the temperature of the rails can reach 15°C higher than the air temperature.
Heatwaves are becoming an increasingly serious problem for European rail transport, both in terms of infrastructure and the health and safety of employees.
In a report on the effects of high temperatures on transport workers, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) points out that the impact of heat on railway staff risks being sidelined when the focus is on delays, speed restrictions or train cancellations.
Prolonged exposure to heat can cause dizziness, dehydration, exhaustion and, in severe cases, heatstroke. At the same time, the build-up of heat stress can affect cognitive functions, leading to slower reaction times, reduced concentration and an increased risk of accidents. For staff who drive trains or operate heavy machinery, the consequences of a mistake can be particularly serious.
85 per cent of train drivers surveyed complained of excessively high temperatures in the cabs
The ETF cites a report published in 2020 by the ASLEF train drivers’ union, according to which 85 per cent of the train drivers interviewed stated that the temperature in the cab had been too high over the past two years.
Furthermore, 50 per cent of respondents stated that exposure to extreme temperatures, whether high or low, had caused them to lose concentration or become distracted, or had led to fatigue, exhaustion or reduced alertness.
The problem is not limited to train drivers.
Staff working directly on the infrastructure, including track maintenance teams, are simultaneously exposed to high air temperatures, solar radiation and heat radiating from metal surfaces and embankments.
The ETF points out that rail temperatures can typically reach around 15°C above the air temperature, which exacerbates the heat stress for staff working on the track.
Rails can warp during very hot periods
Extreme heat also poses a direct risk to the infrastructure.
At very high temperatures, the expansion of steel can cause track deformation, a phenomenon which may create a risk of derailment. Infrastructure managers may therefore be obliged to impose speed restrictions, divert trains or, in certain situations, suspend services.
These measures also have an indirect impact on railway staff, who must manage service disruptions and passenger dissatisfaction.
Water and access to toilets: another issue for railway staff
The ETF also draws attention to a seemingly trivial issue, but one that takes on much greater significance during heatwaves: railway staff’s access to water and toilets.
Mobile staff do not always have the opportunity to hydrate themselves or use a toilet when they need to. In certain situations, the lack of access to toilet facilities can lead staff to voluntarily limit their water intake, thereby increasing the risk of dehydration.
Similar problems are also reported in urban public transport. The ETF points out that air-conditioning and ventilation systems in buses, trams, underground trains, depots and stations were not always designed to cope with the increasingly frequent episodes of extreme heat. Some of the vehicles currently in service were purchased 10–15 years ago, when such temperatures were less common.
The ETF calls for working hours to be adjusted during heatwaves
The Federation is calling for heat stress to be explicitly recognised as a risk to health and safety at work and to be mandatorily included in risk assessments.
Recommended measures include regular monitoring of workplace temperatures, access to drinking water and toilets, cooled or shaded rest areas, and proper maintenance of air-conditioning and ventilation systems.
During periods of extreme heat, the ETF also recommends more frequent or longer breaks, rescheduling work to cooler times of day, and reorganising work to reduce exposure. If these measures are not sufficient, the federation believes that certain activities should be postponed or suspended, without any loss of pay for employees.
In Hungary, for example, the collective labour agreements at the state-owned railway company already provide for longer hourly breaks during periods of high temperatures than those laid down in general legislation.
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