Europe turned railway tracks white during extreme heat; the low-cost solution tackles a problem hidden in the steel

Painting railway tracks white sounds more like an aesthetic choice than a response to extreme weather. Yet in parts of Europe, the humble tin of paint is joining drones, artificial intelligence and sophisticated monitoring equipment in the fight to keep trains running during increasingly severe heatwaves. From railway lines expanding in the heat to airport tarmac becoming dangerously soft, infrastructure designed decades ago is being tested under conditions its engineers did not necessarily anticipate. According to Reuters, European transport authorities are now experimenting with both remarkably simple and highly technological solutions.

Why Are Railway Tracks Being Painted White?

The idea behind white railway tracks is straightforward: lighter surfaces reflect more solar radiation and absorb less heat than darker ones. Stockholm's transport authority spent about 100,000 Swedish crowns, roughly $10,300, painting sections of metro track white during May and June 2026, Reuters reported. The aim was to reduce the temperature of the rails and lower the possibility of tracks buckling.

Steel expands as it gets hotter. Railway tracks are engineered to tolerate temperature changes, but exceptionally high temperatures can increase stresses in continuously welded rails. If those stresses become too great, tracks can distort, potentially forcing trains to slow down or services to stop while repairs and inspections are carried out. The technique isn't a complete answer to Europe's heat problem, but its simplicity makes it particularly interesting alongside far more expensive infrastructure upgrades.

Europe’s Railways Face a Bigger Problem

Extreme weather is already disrupting Europe's rail network. An EU report cited by Reuters found that more than 70 per cent of rail infrastructure managers were experiencing increasing disruption linked to extreme weather. Between 2015 and 2024, weather-related interruptions across the region collectively amounted to the equivalent of between one and three years of railway service. Northern Europe faces a particular challenge. Much of its infrastructure was designed around historically cooler conditions and a narrower temperature range. John Lawrence, chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technology's Railway Technical Network, told Reuters that many railway components and systems were essentially "frozen in time".

Replacing or heat-proofing entire networks would be enormously expensive. Instead, operators are also turning to drones and AI-supported technologies to inspect larger stretches of railway more efficiently and identify potential problems sooner. Britain's Network Rail, for example, has committed £2.6 billion between 2024 and 2029 to improve the railway's resilience against increasingly extreme weather.

Norway Is Literally Watering Its Airport

Railways aren't the only transport systems feeling the heat. At Oslo Airport, firefighters sprayed around 9,000 litres of water over vulnerable sections of the tarmac as temperatures approached 30C, according to Reuters. For Norway, that is an unusual problem. Airport operating engineer Jørn Arvid Remark explained that Norwegian asphalt must now cope with both extreme cold and increasingly warm conditions. High temperatures can soften asphalt, making it more susceptible to damage under the enormous weight of aircraft. Airport operator Avinor is therefore also testing a more heat-resistant asphalt.

Heat Isn't the Only Threat

Hotter weather can trigger other problems that may be even more disruptive. Oliviero Baccelli, a professor at Milan's Bocconi University, told Reuters that thunderstorms, strong winds and landslides following heatwaves can pose an especially serious threat to railway networks.

That means adaptation cannot simply involve designing rails that tolerate another few degrees of heat. Drainage, embankments, electrical equipment and surrounding landscapes may also need attention. French rail manufacturer Alstom believes Europe can learn from systems operating in much harsher climates. Engineering director Martin Wilson pointed to the Riyadh Metro and Dubai tram, which were designed to function in temperatures exceeding 50C.

An Old Problem Is Getting New Solutions

Europe's transport infrastructure was built to last, but many parts were designed using assumptions about weather that are becoming less reliable. The response will inevitably involve major investment. Roads may need different asphalt mixtures, railway equipment may require redesigning, and drainage systems will have to cope with changing rainfall patterns. But Stockholm's experiment also shows that adaptation doesn't always begin with a billion-euro engineering project. Sometimes one of the tools for keeping a modern railway moving through extreme heat can be surprisingly ordinary: a coat of white paint.