Future-proof: Eurostar buys trains that can operate in 55C heat

As heatwaves become part of everyday life during summer in Europe, Eurostar has purchased a fleet of trains capable of operating in temperatures of 55 degrees celsius.

New Eurostar trains can run in 55C

Eurostar has updated its order of trains from models that can operate in 45-degree weather to ones that can run in 55 degrees. The decision comes after western Europe - Eurostar's operating area - saw the hottest June since records began.

“This year, the heatwave has been earlier, longer, hotter than ever,” Eurostar chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave told the Financial Times (FT). During the recent heatwave, Spain recorded temperatures of 45,1 degrees and Germany 41,8 degrees.

Such heat is more commonly associated with Saudi Arabia. Given that heatwaves are only expected to get hotter and the new trains are set to be in service until the 2060s, Eurostar said it made sense to adjust the order.

Preparing for the extreme heat of 2060

Eurostar placed a 2-billion-euro order for up to 50 trains from Alstom, including new double-decker trains, to run in the Channel Tunnel from 2031.

Fortunately, the terms of the contract with the producer allowed the rail company to change the heat specifications before finalising the order. The main change to the trains is the material used for the components of the air-conditioning units. 

Other measures that take extreme heat into consideration, which the company is already implementing, include adding more maintenance bays for air-conditioning units and stocking trains with more bottled water when heatwaves are forecast. 

Eurostar services currently only operate in western Germany, namely Cologne and Aachen. However, during a heatwave, these regions are often some of the warmest.