ABSTRACT
Extreme weather has a harmful effect on railway performance, and climate change is causing this to increase. Major impacts include track failures in heat, overhead line collapse in winds, earthworks failure due to rainfall, or washout due to flooding. More than 1.5 million delay minutes are caused each year by extreme weather, alongside extended line closures. Climate trends show a tendency for an increase in extreme weather, with up to a 600% increase in extreme rainfall events in some UK regions since 1931. The UK railway network is inadequately prepared for the impacts of changing weather patterns. To maintain the performance of the railways, climate trends must be accurately identified and linked to their effects on railway infrastructure. Through this process, the areas of the UK, and the infrastructure assets that will experience the greatest risk, can be identified. With overall risk identified, targeted intervention measures can be organized and applied where necessary to maintain required resilience. Without adapting to the changing climate, railways in the UK will continue to deteriorate in performance and experience increasingly frequent infrastructure failures. Responding to climate change’s effects on the railways will reduce disruption and damage to the railways, providing benefits through reduced delays and maintenance cost across the UK. Using climate data from the Meteorological Office of the past and current regional temperatures and precipitation data were used to evaluate the impact on the construction, maintenance, and safety of railway infrastructure.
