KEEPING THE RAILWAY SAFE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

All of the UK's 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2002. Seven of the country's 10 wettest years on record have occurred since 1998.

Globally, records show the planet's average surface temperature has increased by around 1 °C since 1850, most of that occurring in the last 35 years, while a 2018 study reported sea levels rose by an average of 7cm over the preceding 25 years.

Left unchecked, some scientists estimate the average temperature of the planet could rise by 4.1 ° to 4.8°C by the end of this century, causing extensive warming at the poles, a catastrophic rise in sea levels and changes to weather patterns - feeding extreme storms in some places and drought in others.

Recent events provide ample evidence that climate change is a 'clear and present danger' to the transport systems that keep Britain moving, creating unprecedented challenges to safety and reliability.

Extreme weather, in the form of sudden and torrential rainfall, was the root cause of August 12's tragic accident near Stonehaven in Scotland (RM Sept). The following day, Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines reiterated his organisation's commitment to tackling the risks posed to Britain's rail network by a changing climate, saying: "The Stonehaven tragedy was a stark reminder that we must never take running a safe railway for granted.

"With more and more extreme weather and tens of thousands of earthwork assets across Great Britain, our challenge is massive."

Since the invention of railways, the weather has been a constant, unpredictable threat to safe and reliable operation. Across the world, many lives have been lost in rail accidents caused by flooding, high winds, landslips, mudslides and rockfalls and extreme heat over the last two centuries.

In recent years extreme weather - heat, wind, rain, lightning, heavy seas, snow and ice - has been a contributory factor in an increasing number of serious incidents in the UK

Network Rail analysis shows the cost of delays caused by weather-related incidents -in the form of' 'Schedule 8' compensation payments to train operators - was almost £30million in 2020/21. Flooding, subsidence, heat and wind were the primary contributors, costing £5-6million each over the year.

Warmer but wetter

Heat waves of the kind experienced in recent years are now 30 times more likely to happen because of climate change, forcing NR to impose blanket speed restrictions on the hottest days. Heavy rainfall is also more likely.

The winter storms of 2015/16- the worst for many years - were at least 40% more likely because of climate change, according