Rail Partners responded to the Department for Transport’s consultation on adapting the UK’s transport system to the impacts of climate change.
The impacts of climate change are already having a significant impact on rail operations, and large parts of the GB rail network were built in the Victorian era and were not designed to be resilient to extreme weather and climate change.
In some areas, the rail industry is arguably more advanced in its plans for adapting to climate change than other transport modes. However, ongoing work across the sector will be necessary to address the challenges of climate change. In particular:
- The rail industry must understand and manage risks effectively
- The right framework is required to empower train operators to respond to a changing climate
- The infrastructure manager must be properly resourced and held to account to ensure a resilient railway
- Greater cross-industry collaboration is necessary to design and implement climate change adaptation strategies
