Schwerin/Berlin (dpa/mv) - In order to be able to react quickly to heat damage, Deutsche Bahn relies on more technology. "So that there are no heat-related failures in the control and safety technology, we have equipped thousands of systems with air conditioning," said the railway spokesman responsible for the Northeast region on Tuesday. Heat - as is currently the case - can make rails and track beds difficult, the reason being that steel expands at extreme temperatures. With additional sensors at particularly relevant interlockings, it should be possible to react more quickly to impending problems.
The German Weather Service expects maximum temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Wednesday.
But not only the infrastructure, but also the passengers suffer from the high temperatures. According to the information, the railway is currently investing in the maintenance of the air conditioning systems in long-distance and local transport, and the systems in new trains should also be more efficient. "Over the next five years, additional amounts in the double-digit millions will flow into the maintenance of the air conditioning systems for both long-distance traffic and DB Regio," it said.
Deutsche Bahn announced goodwill for train passengers who, despite the air conditioning, would rather not sit on a train for the next few days. "All passengers who would like to postpone their planned journey between Tuesday, July 19, 2022 and Wednesday, July 20, 2022 due to the high temperatures can use their already booked long-distance ticket flexibly up to and including Wednesday, July 27, 2022." , said the spokesman. This also applies to saver and super saver prices.
