How the rail industry is preparing for a world of more extreme weather

As Storm Bert ravaged the country in late November, the rail network struggled to keep running. It was an issue that Network Rail had recognised ahead of time – before the storm arrived on our shores, Rebecca Rathore, the firm’s route strategy director for the North West, said that the company was “expecting strong winds, which may mean speed restrictions on some routes and heavy rain and snow on higher ground.” She added: “There may well be disruption to some services.”

There was: the West Coast Main Line came to an effective standstill as the River Nene burst its banks; flooding was reported in Ulverston; and signalling was disrupted on the East Coast Main Line, delaying trains as they passed through Yorkshire. The issues continued days after Bert passed by the UK, with Network Rail struggling to restore regular services to Northampton.

Such disruption is the new norm. But understanding how to prevent or mitigate it is trickier. Network Rail has a five-part plan for how it intends to respond to the changing climate. Its key tenets include anticipating issues before they occur and preparing for the worst, better designing defences to resist issues – such as building sea walls near coastline tracks – to prevent floods, absorbing impacts when they inevitably occur by strengthening tunnels to prevent collapse, recovering quicker when disruption happens, and transforming to manage long-term risks.

Fixing the issues that ensue on our transport system every time there is severe weather is a priority the public believes ought to be addressed. A survey by rail engineering consultants GHD found that 85% of Britons believe the government should prioritise preparing national infrastructure to handle storms, floods, and fires caused by climate change. “Roads and railways are the lifeblood of our towns and cities and communities,” says Dario Feliciangeli, transport leader at GHD.

What the rail sector can do about it is more challenging. “As floods and landslips become increasingly common, the rail industry must collaborate with [the] public and private sector to enhance climate resilience,” says Feliciangeli. “To mitigate safety risks and infrastructure damages, the industry is increasingly turning to emerging technologies such as real-time sensors and digital tools.”

Digital tools are the answer for other experts, too. Being forewarned with better data – and therefore stronger modelling of the potential impacts of any single ‘weather event’ – could feed into Network Rail’s ability to anticipate and defend against extreme weather by testing what could happen in simulation. Then, when the real downpour hits, its worst effects can be better absorbed.

“In the current environmental climate, with extreme weather becoming the norm, organisations must become more agile to beat the disruption and avoid lasting impacts,” says Tom Perrone, senior vice president of professional services at Project 44, an automation services company. Perrone believes data insights can help predict and head off disruption before it happens. ”With better visibility comes better planning, and predictive insights are the first line of defence for delay mitigation.”

Digital twins can be particularly useful for predicting how to react to disruption before it happens, according to GHD. This “creates a digital replica of a physical asset, integrating data from on-site surveys, real-time sensors, and climate data modelling,” says Feliciangeli.

That can then influence where to place infrastructure to prevent the worst damage from happening, or to aid recovery from disruption. In 2019 and 2020, Network Rail invested £2.2 million on part of the Conwy line in North Wales to improve its resilience, including laying rock ‘armour’ alongside the track to prevent ballast washing away with flooding. That allows the railway to reopen quicker after water drains away, rather than spending weeks replacing displaced ballast.

“Embracing innovative tools like digital twins will help our transport industry to protect passengers, prevent disruption and achieve a better experience,” says Feliciangeli.

Of course, that requires good data, and good connections. There is also a need, with some sort of disruption inevitable despite the best preparation, for better communication with passengers.

When the worst happens, and cancellations and delays hit, staff can be overwhelmed. So as well as the physical infrastructure standing up to the chaos, it is vital that the digital communications infrastructure does too. “Offering reliable, secure Wi-Fi across the journey – from concourse to carriage – facilitates seamless sharing of travel information and reduces the strain on staff,” says Paul Vaclik, head of product innovation at Nomad Digital.

“It empowers passengers to manage their journey, whether that's finding an alternative route, arranging other transport, or keeping their friends and family updated. This in turn frees up staff to assist the most vulnerable passengers face-to-face when disruption hits.”