## 3 Utilization of Reflective Thermal Insulation Coatings on Railway Tracks Abroad  
Rhatische Bahn is the largest private railway company in Switzerland. They have applied thermal insulation coatings to their railway tracks. The tracks tend to expand when they reach temperatures of 60 \({}^{\circ}\)C. The tracks are considered neutral when laid at temperatures ranging from 27 \({}^{\circ}\)C to 29 \({}^{\circ}\)C, depending on the climatic conditions in the region. The application of thermal insulation coatings has resulted in a temperature reduction of approximately 30% for the railway tracks during high temperatures. The coating significantly reduces the expansion force on the tracks. It is also important to consider the surroundings of the tracks (railway top), which emit a strong heat flow of up to 30 cm above the ground level [9]. Deutsche Bahn conducted a practical test of thermal insulation coatings on railway tracks on the Pfeffe viaduct in Melsungen, located in northern Hesse, on the high-speed line of Hannover. [PERSON], a member of DB's executive board, stated: \"Our passengers  
Figure 4: Principle of applying reflective thermal insulation coating on railway tracks: A—machine wheels; B—machine body; C—nozzles; D—nozzle dispersion; E—rail; F—rail clamps. Figure 5: Practical utilization of a coating machine: (**a**) coating progress; (**b**) final appearance of railway tracks after the application of reflective thermal insulation coating. should have the opportunity to travel reliably by train in all weather conditions. Therefore, we ensure that the railway tracks and technologies function reliably even in very hot weather. The impacts of climate change pose a challenge for us to explore new possibilities and technologies and to venture down new paths. White rails are one of these new paths\". Deutsche Bahn recognizes the importance of addressing the challenges posed by climate change and ensuring reliable railway operations under changing weather conditions. The practical test of thermal insulation coatings on railway tracks reflects their commitment to exploring innovative solutions and technologies to improve the performance and resilience of their rail infrastructure. The use of white rails, which can be achieved through thermal insulation coatings, is one such approach being explored to mitigate the effects of high temperatures on the tracks. The Pfieffe viaduct has a track length of 812 m. The thermal insulation coating was applied at only one section of the track to compare the temperatures of the track with and without the coating. Temperature sensors were then installed, and the track temperatures were compared. The research lasted for 10 months. The evaluation of the test demonstrated that the thermal insulation coating effectively protected the track from overheating, although regular renewal of the coating is necessary. Through this test, DB proved the effectiveness of thermal insulation coatings and subsequently applied the coating to the second section of the track as well [10,11]. Osterreichische Bundesbahnen applied a thermal insulation coating from Climate-Coating on a section of railway track in Vorarlberg, covering the rails with white paint to reduce the temperature of the railway tracks by approximately 5 \({}^{\circ}\)C to 8 \({}^{\circ}\)C. The application of the coating aims to counteract the increased heating of the tracks due to climate change and prevent damage such as rail deformation. These measures serve as strong evidence that climate change has already taken place and that it is crucial to be more proactive in addressing its effects [12]. Research on the Impact of Reflective Thermal Insulation Coatings on Rail Tracks in the Conditions of Slovakia  
For the research on the impact of reflective thermal insulation coatings, a sidetrack measuring 9 m in Zilina Railway Station was tested. Both the base and reflective thermal insulation coatings for the research were provided by ClimateCoating--HFR, LLC, Zilina, Slovakia.