Railways facing the challenges of

climate change and extreme

weather conditions
Two UIC projects at a glance
ARISCC and Winter & Railways

Alex Veitch, UIC, Sustainability Unit

Enno Wiebe, UIC, Rail System Department Rolling Stock

Overview
ARISCC
Adapting rail infrastructure to climate change
Alex Veitch
UIC Sustainibilty Unit

Winter & Railways

Enno Wiebe
Rail System Department Rolling Stock

Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Overview
ARISCC
Adapting rail infrastructure to climate change
Alex Veitch
UIC Sustainibilty Unit

Winter & Railways

Enno Wiebe
Rail System Department Rolling Stock

Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

ARISCC
Two-year project funded by UIC members
European scope
Aims
Find and disseminate good practice for weather event / natural hazard
management
Find good examples of how railways are assessing infrastructure
vulnerability
Understand how railways can incorporate longer term climate
predictions into infrastructure management and planning process
Propose new management approaches to bring these issues together
Disseminate results

Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Natural hazard management approach that

can adapt to climate change

Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Weather now and past

Todays weather: Generic weather
warnings are insufficient. OBB
have invested in more detailed
weather warning systems.
Past weather: It is useful to
catalogue extreme weather
events & impact on rail, e.g. SBB
DERI NR database
This data can be used to create
hazard maps showing impact on
rail infrastructure

Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Mapping natural hazards

ARISCC team recommend three-stage
process
1st Level: Screening Identification of
those parts of the network with a high
exposure to natural hazards (priority
areas)
2nd Level: Investigation of priority areas
by modelling efforts, development of
maps of potential natural hazards
3rd Level: Detailed investigation of priority
areas by on site inspections and
development of high resolution natural
hazard maps

Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Natural hazard management good practice

ARISCC provides a broad collection of good practice examples for integrated
natural hazard management

Rotterdam, /20
May 2011
Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions
20.05.2011

Climate models predicting future weather

Regional climate models can
provide indications of likely
weather patterns
Models for the Rhine Valley and
West Coast Main Line predict:
Higher average
temperatures and increased
likelihood of heat waves
More rain particularly in
winter. Increased chance of
flooding.
Storms and gales more
difficult and controversial
but significant increases in
frequency and intensity of
storms are possible

Rotterdam, /20
May 2011
Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions
20.05.2011

Developing adaptation strategies

The analysis summarized above can be used to develop an approach to
adaptation. The ARISCC team recommend the following:
Produce Vulnerability and Risk Maps
Risks to asset integrity, environment, operation, safety
Priority setting
Risk classes, cost/benefit assessment, cost scenarios
Adaptation measures & strategies
Alarm systems
Monitoring systems
Protective measures
Change of standards
Relocation of assets

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Rotterdam, /20
May 2011
Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions
20.05.2011

Case Study: West Coast Main Line

Identifying vulnerabilities
Expert workshops to identify main weather and climate
factors and their impact on rail infrastructure. This resulted
in a table of risks structured by type of climate impact.
Analysis of current and future vulnerabilities
Investigate the impact of climate change on performance
and safety in more detail. Model most important hazards
e.g. heat waves, river and surface flooding, landslips and
storm throw.
Vulnerability maps for the West Coast Main Line will be
developed. Other outputs will include

Recommendations for quick wins for

adaptation, and procurement options for dealing
with current weather impacts

Preliminary recommendations for asset

management policy up to 2040s

Specification for a tool to evaluate policy options

for adaptation and weather resilience

NB: This work is funded by TRaCCA Tomorrows Railway

and Climate Change Adaptation (Network Rail / RSSB)
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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Case Study: Rhine Valley

Vulnerability screening process
Identify parts of Rhine Valley Route that are in
areas with increased likelihood of natural hazards
Analysis of vulnerable sections
Analyze vulnerable parts of the route identified by
the screening process including data base for delay
minutes, focusing on weather related delays
Analysis of current and future vulnerabilities
Interviews with people responsible for the
route segments
Analysis of status of infrastructure assets.
Discussion of how future climate loads
can impact the local railway infrastructure.
Identify especially vulnerable assets
Measures for the improvement of infrastructure
robustness will be identified and discussed in
detail.

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Concluding thoughts
ARISCC has produced a comprehensive survey of how European railways
manage weather information (past and present) and natural hazards. It has
picked out some good practice examples which others can learn from.
ARISCC has also explored the ways in which future climate models can be
used to assist with infrastructure planning and maintenance in the future.
There are uncertainties with climate models, particularly storms and gales,
but modelling experts seem confident about temperature and precipitation
predictions.
Question does the railway sector have close enough links with the climate
forecasting community? Are future climate changes being considered for new
infrastructure projects, and maintenance programs?
It is easier to plan for new infrastructure (new standards and so on) to
account for a changing climate, than it is to modify existing assets. There is a
clear business case for climate-proofing new infrastructure!

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

More information online!

ARISCC
Adapting rail infrastructure to climate change

http://ariscc.org

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Overview
ARISCC
Adapting rail infrastructure to climate change
Alex Veitch
UIC Sustainibilty Unit

Winter & Railways

Enno Wiebe
Rail System Department Rolling Stock

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

The ideal winter conditions

Winter in Germany and Sweden 2008

Sweden
Sweden

Germany
Germany

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

The winter season 2009/2010

Europes
transport
system suffering
from the winter
conditions

London St. Pancras

North-Eastern Germany

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Have we forgotten what winter is?

1965-66

1942
A lot of knowledge about winter conditions got lost!
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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

The UIC RSF Activity Winter & Railways

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Survey

Workshop

Deliverable

Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Winter & Railways: the TOCs Survey Evaluation

Impact of frozen
infrastructure
on trains
34%

Train Design
58%
Current collection
4%
Maintenance logistics
4%

Received noteworthy inputs for extra technical issues, diagnostics,

problem-solving recommandations:
Trains picking up ballast, lost ballast and generated heavy damages by
rail track ballast (Bogie equipment, aerials, reservoirs gear units and
underframe areas, all kind of equipments DB AG
Reconsider line speed and service pattern, minimize splitting and joining
multiple units in service ATOC
Systematic winter preparation of vehicles, operation and maintenance,
functional testing of vehicles and components in the maintenance,
continuous alarm and information on the weather, targeted specification
for the procurement of vehicles.. SBB

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Winter & Railways: the TOCs Survey Evaluation

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Winter & Railways: the IMs Survey Evaluation

Rails and
welding
20%

Equip. Low Temp.

11%

Equip. Snow
clearance
29%

Switches and
crossing
27%
Signalling
3%

Catenary
9%

Received noteworthy inputs for extra technical issues, diagnostics, problemsolving recommandations:
Measurement vehicles systems: track geometry recording cars were stopped by
snow or ice for longer than usual. After such a long period, we have some problems
with track geometry SNCF
Problems in having maintenance staff for snow removing;
lack of track capacity for snow removing work; new constructions for e.g. passenger
platforms not suitable for snow removing VR
Preventive maintenance on all critical assets; well stated contracts between
entrepreneurs and infrastructure managers about snow clearance; well described
action plan when bad weather occurs... Trafikverket
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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Winter & Railways: the IMs Survey Evaluation

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Rolling
Stock
Rolling Stock

Good practice

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Good Practice Rolling Stock

> De-icing boogies and wagon bodies
> Covers for Automatic Coupling (UK)
> Improved Train Design (e.g. Snow Socks for Horns)
> Improved Air Filtering
> Snow Deflectors

Standardisation:
CEN/TC 256/WG 45, Environmental Conditions Design and
test of rolling stock under severe conditions (Draft)
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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Infrastructure

Good practice

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Switches and crossings Systems to assist snow

clearance
Brushes
The train creates an
airflow that clears the rail
Heating element
Heats the rail up to
8-10 C and melts the
snow

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Switches and crossings Systems to assist snow

clearance
Plastic cover
To keep the heat
Wooden cover
To keep the heat
Cover
To prevent snow filling
the space for the rod
transmission

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Switches and crossings

Procedure to clear snow

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Preparation before next winter

Checklists for switches on main lines
Filofaxstorlek
En bra papperskvalite (fukttligt)

CHECKLISTA FR VXELTILLSYN
STN:
VXNR:
R/V:
BANTEKNIK
Makadam
Sprlge
Tunganordning
ELTEKNIK
Vrmeelement
Kopplingsbox inklusive kablage
Styrdon (triac), skringar
SIGNALTEKNIK

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SIGNALTEKNIK
Bultar och stag
Omlggningsanordning

ok!
ok!
ok!

ok! TKK funktion

ok! TILLGG INFR VINTERSSONGEN
ok! Funktionsprova vxelvrmen
ok!
ok!
Snskydd
ok! ALLMNT
ok! Faststtningsdetaljer
ok!
INFORMATION
ok! VRIG
Notera avvikelser och tgrder som inte kunnat u
Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Operations
Operations

Good practice

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Priority Reduced capacity plans

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Goal:
To be better prepared
for the next winter
seasons
Remember: Cold
winters seldom come
alone!

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

More information online!

Winter & Railways
> Rolling Stock
> Infrastructure
> Operations

http://www.uic.org/spip.php?article2578
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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011

Thank you for your kind attention

Alex Veitch, UIC, Sustainability Unit

Enno Wiebe, UIC, Rail System Department

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Raiways facing climate change and extreme Weather conditions / 20.05.2011