Air-conditioned trains, white-painted rails, tens of thousands of liters of water: Europe protects its infrastructure from heat
European countries are grappling with extreme heat that is damaging infrastructure. Eurostar is equipping its new fleet with 50 air-conditioned Celestia trains that will operate in temperatures up to 55 degrees. In Oslo, 13,000 liters of water are sprayed per hour on airport runways. In Sweden, Spain, and Italy, railway tracks are being painted white. The European Commission will launch a framework for climate resilience. More than 200,000 people have died in Europe from heat in four years.
Countries across Europe are dealing this summer with extreme heat, drought, and massive wildfires. Tens of thousands of people have died due to the intense heat, but the heat also has consequences for infrastructure that is not prepared for high temperatures. Companies and policymakers are forced to respond. Eurostar, the rail service linking London to Paris and Brussels, announced it is preparing for heat with a new fleet of trains designed to withstand temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius. A company spokesperson told CNBC that a decision was made to equip the new fleet with 50 air-conditioned Celestia trains, which will enter service in 2031. In Norway, the asphalt temperature at Oslo Airport reached 52 degrees, and fire crews are spraying thousands of liters of water on the runways. Each cooling round involved 13,000 liters of water per hour. Sweden's public transport operator SL painted railway tracks white to reduce the risk of disruptions, and Spain and Italy also used this method. A European Commission spokesperson said the Commission will present a new framework for climate resilience and risk management, and that approaches and investments in energy, infrastructure, transport, and health need to be calibrated. Extreme heat is also challenging insurance companies. Lena Foldar from Allianz Risk defined the challenge as catastrophic for businesses and called on the insurance industry to work with governments and international organizations. Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, with temperatures rising at twice the global average since the 1980s. In the last four years, over 200,000 people have died in Europe from heat-related causes, and most deaths were preventable, according to the World Health Organization.