Why do trains struggle in the cold?

Why do the cold and snow cause so many problems?

It’s easy to think that a mode of transportation that uses rails should have no difficulty remaining on track, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case. The following are just some of the reasons why not all trains are able to run on time at the moment:

• When trains run through both warm tunnels and cold landscapes, the major temperature fluctuations result in the snow on the trains turning into ice.
• The formation of lots of ice on the couplings between our train sets means we struggle to connect multiple train sets together. This means we choose to operate several departures using single train sets rather than cancelling trains, even if this means there is less space for passengers on board.
• Ice forms on the trains while they are running, and we have had instances in which lumps of ice have fallen off the leading train set and have shattered the windscreen on the train set behind it. This means the train set has to be taken out of service and sent for repair.
• Wild animals are more likely to walk on the railway tracks when the snow in the woods is too deep for them. Unfortunately, this leads to an increase in collisions with animals, which also makes it necessary to remove the trains from service while they are being repaired.
• Large volumes of snow become packed into all the cavities on a train – this is particularly challenging around the train’s doors. As such, some trains operate with a number of their doors out of use, while in some cases we have had to take trains out of service because the doors have been damaged by snow and ice.
• Train maintenance takes longer than usual in the cold because components need to thaw out first. This in turn increases waiting times at our workshops, and means that more trains are unavailable for use.
• Our oldest train sets are most prone to snow- and cold-related issues. This means that passengers on L1 (Spikkestad–Lillestrøm) and L2 (Ski–Stabekk) are experiencing greater consequences and have the fewest trains, but there may also be fewer trains or cancellations on other lines too. In addition to issues with the trains, the snow and cold also has an impact on railway infrastructure – this includes points and signal failures.