1、Strengthening resilience today for safer,more reliable railwaysRail Resilience FrameworkRail Resilience Framework2Today,the worlds railways are feeling the effects of extreme weather events,and these impacts are projected to intensify as climate change progresses.Climate change is a global environme
2、ntal issue with real,local impacts affecting our transport networks and the whole of society.These impacts include higher temperatures,higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air,sea level rise,but most importantly,an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heatwav
3、es,fires,droughts,flooding and landslides.There are many initiatives underway globally to adapt rail assets,infrastructure and organisational approach to withstand the impacts of extreme weather.However,localised attempts by rail owners and operators to mitigate these risks cannot alone protect citi
4、es and regions against these growing threats.There is an urgent need for a new approach;one that unites stakeholders across society in a holistic view of how systems can be fortified to withstand the pressures caused by climate change and other challenges,such as ageing assets and geological hazards
5、.A comprehensive and collaborative approach that takes in assets and infrastructure,but also rails interfaces with and dependencies on other systems,from national policy-making to energy supply is needed to enable better planning to cope with foreseeable shocks and stresses.Preventing the worst impa
6、cts of climate change will be far less costly and disruptive to railways,cities and regions than repeated emergency responses.We set out a proactive approach in our Rail Resilience Framework,drawing on our understanding of the rail industry and our deep experience in resilience planning in multiple