Following the severe heat damage and the suspension of service for several days, nearly all trams in Leipzig are now running again. The cause of the damage is currently under investigation. “The expert we commissioned began his work last week. He has announced that he will present the initial findings of his investigation by the end of August,” said a spokeswoman for Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe in response to an inquiry.
The expert from TÜV Süd is taking material samples and investigating, among other things, why the joint compound melted in some places but withstood the heat in others.
The weekend before last, tram service in Saxony’s largest city was completely suspended. According to LVB, extreme heat with temperatures around 40 degrees had softened the joint compound in many places along the tracks. The trams had pushed the joint compound out and spread it across the tracks and switches with their wheels—forming a layer up to five millimeters thick. The compound hardened again, causing the rails to stick together and also damaging the vehicles.
