Climate Change Threatens Europe’s Trains, But Resilience Is Expensive

The air is hot inside the packed tram. There are no passengers, though. Just dozens of heaters — standing in the aisles and on the seats — meant to simulate them. Instead of rushing through a city street, the tram is stationary inside a weather tunnel in Vienna, some 600 miles from Duisburg, the German city where it’s due to spend its working life—once it passes a climate assault course.

This weather tunnel at Rail Tec Arsenal, on the outskirts of Austria’s capital, is the world’s largest climatic wind tunnel. It tests 15 trains each year for train and tram companies around the world, along with planes and cars. It is painted neon green inside, for reasons that have nothing to do with its function, but the color adds to the intense otherworldliness of the space.