Climate Exchange

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ransport

and

nfrastructure

can be long, and it may be difficult to find good experts,

but all these issues can be solved with good financing

and lobbying, and by the exchange of knowledge.

Sharing information

The exchange of knowledge is essential to quickly adapt

to climate change. Information can be transferred within

a company: for example, JR East created a training centre

that helps train employees based on past events. But

everyone can learn from the past, including civil society:

for instance, the Accident History Exhibition Hall in

Japan allows widespread access to information. What

is more, the information can be exchanged between

climate services and companies, in order to help them

adapt to climate change. Finally, the exchange of good

practices between companies is also possible; UIC serves

this purpose, namely with the ARISCC project.

Among the tools available are the holistic rail system

vulnerability tool which supports information on climate

vulnerability and adaptation actions at entire railway

system level; the sub-system vulnerability tools which

support information on climate vulnerability and adapta-

tion actions for railway sub-systems such as rolling stock;

and decision support tools for local/policy managers –

a set of tools to help local managers select appropriate

adaptation actions. In addition, the UK’s TRaCCA project

has researched climate change impact up to the 2040s.

ment. Train manufacturers use systems that protect the mechanic

components, the cabling, the coupler and local heating system and

reinforce the isolation and the heating systems.

Once again, the need for relevant information is paramount. For

instance, Finnish Railways duly considers weather forecasts in order

to act locally. Indeed, as the temperature distributions in wintertime

are extremely cold, the company decided to introduce specific mate-

rials in its rolling stocks to resist these conditions, such as stronger

lubricants, new insulation methods or specific coating materials to

prevent snow and ice adhesion.

Technical standards

Another way to adapt to new conditions is to develop standards;

indeed, if new infrastructures are built to resist to such weather

conditions, this will avoid future costs and damages. The European

Federation of Railway Contractors advocates a change in standards.

For instance, if bridges are built higher than currently, this will

enable the railways to accommodate larger tidal ranges due to sea

level rise over their lifespan, and the reinforcement of foundations

will allow them to cope with higher magnitude flood events.

In Northern Europe, climate change will result in wetter winters,

and more snow and ice episodes that will further threaten struc-

tures such as catenaries or switches and crosses. To address this

issue, railway companies implemented a new standard for catenar-

ies, which now have to have a pantograph of carbon/aluminum and

an Auto-Drop Device. It is not easy to change norms as standards are

often voluntary and not legally binding. The timescale for change

Source: UIC

The InfraWeather online portal developed by Austrian railway company OBB