On 5 November 2024, a UIC safety webinar entitled “Resilient Railways” was held at UIC in Paris, addressing the growing need for adaptability in railway systems in the face of climate-change based challenges and emergencies. The event was a success with 166 people connecting to listen to the different presentations given over the three hours. The speakers discussed key aspects such as:

1. Adaptation to climate change: The importance of rail infrastructure resilience and the need to incorporate adaptation measures to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events.

2. Methodologies and approaches: Approaches and methodologies for assessing vulnerability and risk and for implementing adaptation measures in the railway system. Examples included climate impact studies, analysis of historical events and future scenarios.

3. Case studies and international partnerships: Speakers and engineering experts discussed international projects and partnerships to improve resilience in transport systems.

Summary of speakers
Each speaker provided perspectives based on their experience in engineering, public policy, and international projects. The urgency of implementing innovative and adaptive solutions was highlighted, as well as the importance of working together on a global level to ensure that rail networks can meet future challenges in an efficient and sustainable manner.

• Francisco Cabrera, UIC, welcomed the participants and highlighted the webinar’s aims, underlining the importance of railway resilience in the face of growing climate change-related challenges and emergencies.
• Esther Mateo, Spanish Railway Infrastructure Manager (ADIF) and Chair of the Safety Platform, also welcomed the attendees and emphasised how topical this subject is, given the flooding in Valencia the previous week. The connection between resilience and safety management systems is necessary. Mateo also detailed Adif’s efforts to integrate cyber security with operational safety in the context of rail resilience, highlighting how cyber threats can affect service continuity and the importance of preventive measures, linking this to the RERA Cyber project that UIC will be launching in January 2025.
• Frédéric Henon, UIC, explained the relevance of integrating climate adaptation into railway infrastructure and how new technologies and emergency planning are essential for improving resilience.
• Lucie Anderton, UIC, introduced the importance of international collaboration in rail resilience and underlined how cooperation and knowledge sharing between experts and organisations is key to developing effective climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, both within and outside of the rail sector.
• Jan Brooke, World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC), gave a presentation on the work of the Global Maritime Transport Infrastructure Partnership and how lessons in resilience from ports and waterways can be applied to rail systems.
• Mercedes Gutiérrez Ferrandiz, World Bank, detailed the World Bank’s approach to climate adaptation investment, highlighting examples of international projects to improve railway resilience in vulnerable regions.
• Benoît Lagardère and Félix Rannou, French Ministry of Transport, presented a study on the socio-economic costs of extreme weather events on the French railway network and proposed adaptation strategies based on risk analysis.
• Rosa Casquero Soler, ADIF, provided information on the Resilient Railways facing Heavy Rains (RERA-Rain) project, as well as some striking images of the floods in Valencia. The project aims to increase the resilience of railway infrastructure to heavy rainfall, detailing the methodology for assessing vulnerabilities and risks.
• Pablo Vallhonrat and Concepción Toribio Díaz, CEMOSA, explained the technical aspects of the RERA-Rain methodology, including analysis of the impact that chlimate change will have and the assessment of adaptation measures, as well as the determination of infrastructure vulnerability.
• Metrk Al-Harti, Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), explained the general approach of the Resilient Railways facing High Temperatures (RERA Temp) project that will end in the coming months, in his capacity as chair of the working group. He also discussed best practices from Saudi Arabia in terms of managing sand accumulation and high temperatures.
• Carole Escolan-Zeno, SNCF, talked about heat wave management in terms of both railway workers and train passengers.
• Katrin Nehaus, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), reported on the additional work for infrastructure managers in tackling increased vegetation growth, which can have dire consequences on safety.
• Franco Iacobini, Italian Railway Network (RFI) and Chair of the UIC Infrastructure Platform, spoke about RFI’s strategies to manage and mitigate climate risks on Italy’s rail network, highlighting the importance of long-term planning and investment in resilient infrastructure. He also reported on the Resilient Railways facing Earthquakes (RERA Quake) project, launching in January 2024 to complete the ISO standard on earthquake management.
• Chris Knowles, Transport Consultant, gave a presentation on the PRIMA project, which establishes criteria for setting speeds for rail systems in the face of extreme weather events, stressing the importance of preparedness and rapid response.
• Finally, Raffaele Zurlo, Mediterranean Rail Freight Corridor (MED RFC), detailed the challenges and solutions providing during the construction and management of the Vallée de Maurienne base tunnel, highlighting the measures taken to protect the infrastructure from climatic impacts and ensure operational safety, with Manuel Besteiro, ADIF, commenting on the contingency plans of the various infrastructure managers along the Mediterranean Corridor, which can be exported to any other international corridor.