How can the weather affect train tracks?

Answer 1

Rain has no impact on the tracks, but some trains may slip or slide because of rain, so the train may go slower for safety. The metal rails expand in high heat and contract in the cold. In the heat, this expansion can distort the rails enough that a train can no longer pass over them at all. In extreme cold, the rails can be stressed beyond their limits, and may break simply from the cold. Snow and ice has no effect on the rails, but the tracks include "switches" that enable a train to go from one track to another - these can become frozen in many different ways such that a train can no longer change tracks, or, may not even be able to go over that section of track at all.