NWPStaging

Rail Adapt is a International Union of Railways (UIC) initiative aimed at keeping UIC Members informed and prepared, in support of National Adaptation Plans, UN agreements and EU encouragement to reduce risks and costs whilst improving railways’ resilience in the face of changing climate conditions. Building resilience in infrastructure is gaining wider support from national governments with important commitments included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustiainable Development (Sustainable Development Goals 9 & 13) and the outcomes of United Nations climate negotiations in Paris (COP 21) and Marrakech (COP 22), where all governments agreed to develop national adaptation plans. Railways will play no small part in these developments. The rail sector has always been exposed to weather impacts. Methods of operation, structural designs and asset management strategies all implicitly take into account ‘normal’ weather conditions and seek to mitigate the effects on operational performance and asset deterioration. Climate change represents a shift in the normal conditions under which current designs and operations were established and will have a direct effect on the reliability and sustainability of the system. Without adaptation to reflect the expected changes in severe weather conditions and events, there will be a detrimental effect on operational performance, safety and the financial wellbeing of the railways concerned, thus reducing the long-term sustainability of railways. With prudent planning and adaptation to take account of climate change, railways will be well set to play an increasing role in the transport needs of their host markets, contributing to wider economic and social wellbeing. To ensure the provision of competitive and attractive rail services in the decades to come it is vital that the rail sector develops cost effective climate change adaptation strategies and implements them to improve rail sector resilience over time, against a background of a changing climate, demographic change and increasing population and mobility. Key points of the developed framework: avoid reinvention – build on what is already underway in existing activities, projects and processes; linkages should exist between adaptation and mitigation agendas (widening options for response) and risk management processes in safety / business risk management; bring together people from different areas (and external organisations) which can lend support and expertise to the work; the process has to be iterative, not linear – as new information and experience is gathered this will raise new questions and challenges.