There are literally dozens of reports from yesterday (Friday) from across Germany, where railway services were not just delayed, but cancelled....because of the heat (five days straight of 35-plus degrees C, or 95-plus degrees F).
Journalists were showing the dramatic effect. People were standing at stations and finding that next two or three railway runs to their destination....were cancelled. All of this led to frustrations and anger. When trains did start to run as the temperature lessened in the evening hours....they were overflowing with passengers trying to get home or to their destination.
Lack of AC units? This was continually talked about, with various trains taken off-line because the units simply couldn't cool the cars to an adequate temperature.
Around five years ago, I got on a ICE-train (the fast and sleek high-speed railcars), in the midst of July. I found adequate open seats on this one car, but as I noticed upon leaving the station.....it wasn't cooling. The temperature in the cabin had to be a minimum of 50 C (122 F). I lasted about three minutes, and proceeded to the next car which was overflowing with people (minimum of 30 people standing because there wasn't enough seats).
This German government plan of doubling the use of trains, and convincing people to quit driving to work? It's because of days like this that I just simply laugh over the proposal. As dependable as people project the Bahn, it's not built to handle heat stress.
The continual problem with the AC units? This often comes up in conversation, and Germans will ask where the heck do these guys buy the units put on the modern trains? It's obviously a German product....but it's simply not designed to handle significant heat.
Better today? An Atlantic front has arrived and temperatures have dropped 10 C for today.....locally, it'll max out at 28 C (82 degrees F).
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