Resilience

DB ice! Heavy snow caused the cancellation of hundreds of trains in Munich and across southern Germany in December 2023. ALAMY.

Feature

Are Europe's railways ready for winter extremes?

Safety is the priority, but are we at risk of losing the year-round resilience of the railway? Ben Jones looks at how European railways handle extreme weather.

Climate adaptation 3 Sept

Eskmeals Viaduct, Cumbria 2024. NETWORK RAIL.

News

£4.5m upgrade to protect Cumbrian coast line

Network Rail is investing £4.5m to safeguard the Cumbrian coast line by strengthening Eskmeals viaduct.

Network Rail 19 Aug

Comment

Opinion: The vulnerability and resilience of our railways

The vulnerability of the railways has been highlighted in the past couple of weeks by two very separate events.

Christian Wolmar 16 Aug

Periods of extreme heat have become more common, in some cases bringing with them national disruption. Distorted by the heat haze on May 29 2020, DB Cargo 60092 stops on the Down Main at Kingsbury Branch Junction with the 0715 Immingham Lindsey Oil Refinery to Kingsbury Oil Sidings oil tank train, to make contact with the Branch signaller. Meanwhile, Freightliner 66507 waits alongside with the 1257 Kingsbury Birch Coppice Freightliner to Felixstowe North Freightliner Terminal intermodal. Passing on the Up Main is GB Railfreight 66736 Wolverhampton Wanderers with the 1110 Bescot Up Engineers Sidings to Toton North Yard/Down Sidings Low Level. GRAHAM NUTTALL.

Feature

How to adapt the network to climate change

Network Rail’s Climate Change Task Force lead for Wales and Western Region, Julie Gregory, talks to Nick Brodrick about the challenges of adapting the network.

Climate adaptation 7 Aug

Feature

Dawlish shows engineering at its best

“Extremes of feelings” is how Network Rail Programme Engineering Manager Emma Lewis contrasts the polar-opposite events at Dawlish on February 4 2014 and July 3 2023. On that first date, high winds and strong waves punched a 100-metre hole through the Great Western Main Line’s Sea Wall defences alongside Riviera Terrace.

Engineering 1 May

News

Task forces deliver weather resilience recommendations

More than 50 recommendations made to increase resilience of rail network

18 Mar

News

Wavewalker starts work at Dawlish

Work begins on second phase of Dawlish resilience scheme

11 Nov

News

Network Rail refines plans for Sea Wall

More design changes required for Teignmouth Sea Wall plans following second consultation

19 Oct

News

Network Rail reveals next phase of Dawlish resilience scheme

Dawlish station could be protected by a new high-level promenade as part of Network Rail's resilience plans for the sea wall route

28 May

News

First concrete panels installed in new Dawlish Sea Wall

New Sea Wall starts to take shape at Dawlish

17 Feb

News

FROM THE ARCHIVES: The case for Okehampton reopening

JIM STEER examines the business and economic needs that must be considered and satisfied by an Exeter-Plymouth rail reopening skirting the north of Dartmoor

19 Nov