On 27 March, UIC hosted an event to launch the final outcomes of the Resilient Railways (RERA) projects for two critical hazards: heavy rainfall and high temperatures. At the UIC headquarters in Paris, two major reports were unveiled: RERA Rain and RERA Temp. These reports mark significant progress in railway resilience research, addressing the challenges posed by extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall, extreme heat and desert environments. The event gathered together industry leaders, experts and stakeholders to discuss the implications of climate change on rail infrastructure and the necessary steps towards a resilient future.
Download the full RERA reports here: UIC Resilient Railways.
Lucie Anderton, UIC Sustainability Director, set the tone with an inspiring speech emphasising the urgency of the RERA projects. She highlighted that despite rail being inherently resilient due to its centralised controls and network design, flooding and heatwaves have an increasing impact on transport systems. She emphasised the need for rail to be reliable and bounce back from extreme weather events in order to attract more passengers and customers to railways.
Frédéric Henon, UIC Freight Director, reflected on the project’s origins, referencing a critical UK railway accident in 2022 that catalysed the need for collective solutions. He stressed the financial challenges facing the railway industry and the necessity of long-term resilience strategies to sustain operations in a rapidly changing climate.
RERA Rain project
Francisco Cabrera, UIC, introduced the evolution of the RERA programme and its sub-projects, including RERA Wind, RERA Quake, RERA Cyber and RERA Elec. He also discussed the role of the RERA Task Force, which will act as a platform for ongoing knowledge exchange and identify new project needs and knowledge gaps.
Konstantina Kopsalidou, UIC, provided an overview of the RERA Rain project, detailing the key vulnerabilities of railway infrastructure to extreme precipitation and the framework methodology for prioritising action for critical assets. The project recommends enhanced weather forecasting integration, improved inspection protocols and strengthened collaboration among asset owners, operators and policy-makers.
Concepción Toribio and Pablo Vallhonrat Blanco, from UIC’s delivery partner, CEMOSA, elaborated on the RERA Rain Framework, outlining three interconnected phases:
1. Climate impact analysis
2. Vulnerability, risk and criticality assessment
3. Adaptation planning
Their presentation emphasised a structured approach to guiding infrastructure managers in incorporating climate data into planning, prioritising interventions and implementing targeted adaptation measures.
David Quincey, Network Rail, presented insights on managing rainfall, focusing on extreme weather response processes: Respond, Recover and Review. He explained how the National Weather Team develops guidance for operational weather management and seasonal preparedness. Tools such as the Convective Alerting Tool (CAT) and the Precipitation Analysis Tool (PAT) assist in monitoring and decision-making during extreme rainfall events.
RERA Temp project
Pablo Vallhonrat Blanco introduced the RERA Temp methodology, focusing on vulnerability and risk assessment related to extreme heat. He provided details on:
- Data preparation and analysis
- Vulnerability and risk assessments
- Implementation and monitoring of adaptation measures
Concepción Toribio identified the railway assets most affected by high temperatures, including tracks, rolling stock, signalling systems, bridges and vegetation. She outlined the need for targeted measures to mitigate the effects of high temperatures.
Rosa Casquero, UIC, delved into Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) management, detailing rail expansion and compression impact infrastructure stability. She referenced RERA Temp’s structured approach to CWR management and the importance of proactive monitoring and adaptation.
Metrk Al Harthi, SAR, examined the impact of sand contamination and desert conditions on railway systems. He explained methods for assessing exposure severity and adaptation measures that can be applied against sand contamination, such as vegetation windbreaks, porous sand fences and early warning systems.
Pablo Vallhonrat Blanco also spoke about vegetation management, detailing the impacts of climate change on railway-adjacent vegetation and the risk of embankment fires. He advocated for proactive measures and improved vegetation management tools.
Carole Escolan, SNCF, addressed human factors, describing the risks of rising temperatures for railway workers and passengers. She called for a holistic approach that integrates immediate mitigation with future climate preparedness.
Roadmap to resilience
Mercedes Gutierrez, World Bank, discussed financial resources for resilience and climate adaptation strategies. She outlined the World Bank Group’s commitment to raising annual climate financing to $40 billion, with a target of $120 billion annually by 2030, supporting resilience in low- and middle-income countries.
She introduced the Climate-Resilient Transport Strategy and the strategic planning for better adaptation and resilience that will be published later this year, framed by four key priorities:
- Develop network-level thinking
- Enhance risk governance with improved disaster risk financing strategies
- Promote innovative technologies
- Support cross-sectoral response mechanisms
She described their lifecycle approach with its five pillars of resilience, including system planning and financing, design and engineering, operations and maintenance, financial and institutional capacity. She emphasised that “resilience should be seen as an investment with long-term returns rather than as an additional cost”.
Transport system resilience
Dr Bryan Adey, ETH, provided a system-wide perspective on transport resilience. He underscored the importance of stress tests, service impact assessments and simulation-based evaluations to enhance infrastructure adaptability to climate change.
Conclusions and next steps
Francisco Cabrera reinforced the importance of continued collaboration among UIC members to advance resilience strategies.
François Davenne, UIC Director General, delivered the closing remarks, emphasising UIC’s commitment to fostering expertise and innovation in railway resilience. He noted that increasing railway use is both a climate solution and a resilience measure, and encouraged ongoing participation in RERA projects. He highlighted that “RERA is an essential initiative, bringing expertise together to ensure that railways remain the backbone of sustainable and climate-resilient transport”.
