Hungary has stopped running evening freight trains as extreme summer heat affects rail operations, RAILMARKET.com reports.

The measure targets the evening window, when sustained high temperatures pose the greatest risk to track stability and signaling equipment. Hungarian rail infrastructure is subject to heat-related speed restrictions and operational limits each summer, as continuous welded rail can buckle when rail temperatures rise well above the levels at which the track was stressed.

The suspension of evening freight paths reduces available capacity on the network at precisely the hours normally used to move goods efficiently outside passenger service peaks. Freight operators serving Hungarian routes will need to re-plan departures and arrivals around the restricted window, with knock-on effects for connections to neighbouring Central European networks.

Heat-related interventions of this kind are a recurring feature of Central European operations during prolonged hot spells. Infrastructure managers typically respond with temporary speed limits, increased track inspection, and in severe cases selective traffic bans when rail temperature thresholds are exceeded.

No date for the resumption of unrestricted evening freight running has been given. Operators should expect the restrictions to remain in force while the current heat episode persists, and to monitor further notices from the Hungarian infrastructure manager as conditions evolve.