Climate Sense

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Railway infrastructure and

adaptation to climate change

Margrethe Sagevik, International Union of Railways

n recent years, climate change has received increasing

attention, appearing on both national and global political

agendas. There is a growing pressure on society as a whole,

and especially on governments and companies, to learn more

about the causes and the effects of global warming – as well as

how to cope with such impacts.

Railways have always been subject to the effects of the weather,

and as such are constructed to ‘survive’ infrequent natural hazards.

However, today’s extreme weather will be tomorrow’s normal

weather, and because the consequences of climate change are

advancing rapidly, there is an urgent need to develop and implement

appropriate adaptation strategies for transport systems, includ-

ing rail. The challenge for railways is not only to survive extreme

weather conditions, but also to recover quickly from them and to

be able to run under circumstances we currently deem abnormal.

The factors predicted to have a significant impact on railways,

according to parameters costs and probability, are:

• Flooding

• Storms/gales (inland)

• Intense short time period rainfall

• Extended rain periods (widespread)

• High maximum temperatures

• Lightning strikes and thunderstorms

• Changing vegetation.

Climate change adaptation strategies –

feasibility study

The feasibility study, Impact of Climate Change on

Railway Infrastructure and Adaptation Strategies and

Measures, was commissioned by the International Union

of Railways (UIC) and carried out in 2008 by the Institute

of Futures Studies and Technology, in Berlin.

The main objective of this study was to identify if the

consequences of climate changes are likely to become

an issue for railways, and if so, explore how to deal with

them. Following this the study was to identify a struc-

ture for how to approach the challenge of adaptation, as

well as to define the first steps in that process.

The findings of the study proved that impacts caused

by global warming are an increasingly important issue

for UIC members. Some members have been more

exposed to these impacts than others. The feasibility

study provided an overview of the ongoing and planned

activities railways are adopting to help them adapt to

extreme weather situations and climate change. It clas-

sified the main effects of climate change on railway

infrastructure – identifying and ranking the main

impacts according to their damage potential. The study

also provides an overview of the areas of highest prior-

ity within this field, as well as a systematic inventory of

adaptation measures, strategies and policies in each of

the high priority areas.

Ultimately, the feasibility study provided the basis for

the UIC research and development project Adaptation

of Railway Infrastructure to Climate Change (ARISCC).

The project addresses the consequences of climate

change on railway infrastructure, as well as adaptation

strategies, in detail.

Activities of European railways

The feasibility study indicated that among European

railways there is a wide range of ongoing and planned

activities concerning adaptation to extreme weather

situations and climate change, ranging from monitoring

and mapping efforts to impact assessments. The activi-

ties can be divided into six priority areas:

• Monitoring weather and infrastructure conditions

• Hazard and vulnerability mapping (locations and

assets)

• Improved standards for new and existing

infrastructure

daptation

and

itigation

trategies

Increasing summer temperatures take their toll on existing rail infrastructure

Image: Network Rail