European rail faces delays from trackside fires and new tracking tools

Railway travelers in Belgium have experienced 5,821 minutes of delays this year due to trackside fires. High temperatures and drought conditions have made vegetation highly flammable, and sparks from passing trains can ignite dry grass, leading to fires that require trains to slow down or stop for safety. Infrabel monitors these incidents to manage the impact on rail traffic.

To address the complexities of European rail travel, a new platform called TrainTracker24 is set to launch in August 2026. Similar to Flightradar24 for aviation, the interactive map aims to provide real-time tracking for thousands of train journeys across Europe, with strong coverage currently in France, Spain, and Belgium. The service will allow users to track specific train numbers, view punctuality statistics, and monitor disruptions, though coverage for regions like Austria is currently limited.