Trafikverket says jointed track is more sensitive to high temperatures than fully welded rails mounted on concrete sleepers and during periods of extremely high temperatures, it wants to ensure the heat does not adversely affect the rail and minimise the risk of buckling.
“We make it a safety measure when we estimate that the risk of heat distortion is high,” says Trafikverket deputy head of transport, Ms Linda Corsvall. “That is why Trafikverket took the decision to temporarily close the current stretches until we see that the temperature is falling. The forecast is that traffic can be resumed at the beginning of next week.”
