By Don Reisinger, Fortune Magazine; January 30, 2019
Chicago is cold. Like, really, really cold. And now crews have been forced to set its railroad tracks on fire just to keep trains moving.
Several local reports on Tuesday showed rail crews using fire to heat up railroad tracks to ensure trains can run smoothly and without incident. The rail, which is used both for commuter travel and commercial cargo, is critical not only to Chicago, but also businesses across the United States. And when temperatures get well below freezing, the cold can cause bolts to erupt from the rails. Cold temperatures can also stop switching points on rails to work properly.