READ MORE --Severe weather is now causing 1,075 days of train delays each year, it emerged today as Network Rail claimed 'climate change is the biggest issue faced by the railways'.
This covers factors such as high wind, heavy rain and leaves falling from trees - a common problem in blustery and wet autumnal conditions when they stick to rails.A fallen tree at Arrochar & Tarbet station on the West Highland Line in January amid Storm IshaA tree that fell onto the overhead wires at Whitecraigs station in Scotland in January 2024Weather-related disruption accounted for 1.
It is now hoped that the extra funding from the Government-owned body will prevent tragedies such as the disaster near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, in August 2020. What is in Network Rail's £2.8billion climate change plan? Network Rail says it will invest about £2.8billion on protecting railways from climate change and extreme weather over the next five years. These are some of the examples it gave of what the money will go towards:
There are also concerns over how extreme heat in summer - such as during the unprecedented temperatures of July 2022 - can result in buckling rails which increase the chance of derailments. 'We are responding to that challenge with a huge investment in making our railway more resilient and better-performing for rail users during such events.
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