Temperatures in Western Europe rose above 100°F, starting on June 26, causing health warnings to be issued in Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Czechia. In France, some cities canceled school during the hottest days, and the cities of Paris and Lyon limited traffic to the least-polluting cars and trucks to reduce smog, which can trap heat.
In Queensland, northeastern Australia, visitors can ride a restored steam train with Mary Valley Rattler (Historic Gympie Station, Tozer St., Gympie; phone +61 07 5482 2750, www.maryvalleyrattler.com.au).
Traveling between the capital, Dhaka, in central Bangladesh, and Sylhet, in the northeast, a passenger train derailed while crossing a bridge over a canal on June 23, killing five people and injuring at least 100. The train was carrying at least 2,000 people at the time of the accident, the cause of which was under investigation at press time.
12-day, 11-night rail trip in northern MEXICO, Nov. 8-19, 2019, and March 13-24 & Nov. 6-17, 2020. Highlights: From El Paso, Texas, pass through Chihuahuan Desert to prehistoric site at Casas Grandes/in Creel, 16th-century church San Ignacio Arareko/cross Sierra Madre into Copper Canyon to visit Tarahumara Indian village/El Fuerte/Alamos/Guaymas Pearl Farm at Sea of Cortez in Sonora. $2,995 ppdo. Single supp., $1,000. Uncommon Journeys & Train Holidays (Alameda, CA; 800/323-5893, www.uncommonjourneys.com).
15-day, 14-night trip includes Deccan Odyssey luxury train in central and northern INDIA, Feb. 6-20, 2020. Highlights: In Mumbai, Dhobi Ghat, Gandhi museum/Elephanta Island cave temples/private train to Udaipur/in Jaipur, Palace of Winds/Delhi city tour/in Agra, Taj Mahal/Varanasi, then narrow-gauge railway to Darjeeling/Kolkata. $15,295-$30,595 ppdo or $22,995-$45,895, single (per cabin).
On Feb. 27, a passenger train struck a buffer stop at a platform in Cairo's Ramses Station, the main train station in the city, and burst into flames, killing at least 25 people and injuring 50. The fire spread to nearby buildings before being extinguished.
Authorities arrested the train's engineer, accusing him of leaving the train without first setting the brakes. The engineer claims that the brakes were set before he left but failed due to corrosion.
Travelers age 60 and over now get a 10 percent senior discount on first- and second-class Eurail Global Passes and Eurail One Country Passes purchased from Rail Europe.
Eurail Global Passes offer unlimited train travel within and between 31 countries in Europe, including, added in 2019, Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland), Lithuania and Macedonia. The passes can be purchased for a minimum of three days of travel within one month up to a maximum of three months of continuous travel.
At least three people were killed and more than 600 were injured when two passenger trains collided head-on in Pretoria, South Africa, on Jan. 8. Investigators believe that one train entered Wolmerlon Station in Mountain View on the wrong track due to a communication error, causing the accident. Speed is not believed to have been a factor.
In Ankara, Turkey, a high-speed passenger train collided with another vehicle and then an overpass at a train station on Dec. 13, killing at least nine people and injuring 47. The train, traveling southeast from Ankara to Konya, was carrying more than 200 passengers. The vehicle it struck was doing a track inspection at the time.
