Weather

One of the washouts along the Conwy Valley line in North Wales. NETWORK RAIL.

News

Four washouts along North Wales branch line leads to two-week closure

Bridges and level crossings were also damaged in bad weather over new year

Weather 9 Jan

Comment

Opinion: riding home versus driving home for Christmas

Seasonal rushes, engineering works, snowstorms, traffic jams and can you work out whether Chris Rea would have got home for Christmas quicker by train?

Editor's comment 11 Dec

Weather extremities are “getting more severe and inpactful on the railway”, says Network Rail. A landslip causes trees to fall and block the line near Scunthorpe in May. NETWORK RAIL.

News

Network Rail cites weather as a key cause for an increase in delays

Rail delays relating to weather are now the highest on record, according to Network Rail.

Weather 16 Sept

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

The Alpine topography presents challenges for Swiss Federal Railways. ALAMY.

Feature

Extreme weather: are they coping in Europe?

Safety is the priority, but are we at risk of losing the year-round resilience of the railway? Ben Jones looks at how other European railways manage performance when the weather does its worst.

Health and wellbeing 17 Apr

News

Weather Academy meets to tackle responses to adverse weather

Network Rail’s inaugural Weather Academy workshop identify ways of delivering a safer, more reliable service during adverse and extreme weather.

7 Dec

News

Task forces deliver weather resilience recommendations

More than 50 recommendations made to increase resilience of rail network

18 Mar

News

Climate change affecting the railway, says RSSB report

Risks from higher temperatures, more frequent and more extreme weather, and rising sea levels will influence railway passengers, staff and operations says RSSB.

13 Jun

A Great Western High Speed Train passes Dawlish on April 10. MARK PIKE.

News

PICTURE: Waves batter Dawlish sea wall

Some of the strongest winds since February 2014 battered the sea wall at Dawlish on April 10.

11 Apr

News

Engineers save Lamington Viaduct from total collapse

Lamington Viaduct was “in a total state of collapse” before being rescued from the waters of the River Clyde, reports the leader of the repair project.

29 Jan

News

Storms cause more misery for the UK rail network

Parts of the rail network remain closed as a result of severe weather conditions recorded over the Christmas period and early 2016.

20 Jan

News

Dover-Folkestone closed for up to two months

The railway between Dover Priory and Folkestone Central is currently closed following severe damage to a sea wall at Dover. It could be shut for two months.

29 Dec

Gallery

REVEALED: Cumbrian storm damage on West Coast Main Line

Network Rail has released images showing the damaged caused to the West Coast Main Line by Storm Desmond

7 Dec

Flooding north of Carlisle. NETWORK RAIL.

News

West Coast Main Line shut for 'several days' - Network Rail

The West Coast Main Line north of Carlisle will be closed for several days after eight feet of water flooded the railway.

7 Dec

Gallery

Dawlish from the air

One year ago today, storms damaged the sea wall at Dawlish, with 80 metres of the iconic Brunel-built structure falling into the sea, leaving track hanging.

4 Feb