Climate and the rail industry
The latest news about climate and the railway industry, including emissions, the impact of climate change, mitigation measures, infrastructure resilience and policy.
‘Five firsts’ celebrated at Tuxford as UK rail sector seeks role in hydrogen economy
UK: Network Rail and industry partners held an event at Tuxford in Nottinghamshire on December 3 marking the first use of rail to transport hydrogen on the main line network.
Rolling Stock: Insulation delivers energy savings
Advances in the design of materials used for insulation and HVAC systems on trains can help rail operators to reduce their energy use by up to 20% in real-world conditions. Tom Merton, Technical Manager at Armacell, explains how the company’s range is evolving to cater to the specialist needs of the rail sector.
Siemens Mobility increases use ‘green steel’ in rolling stock production
EUROPE: Siemens Mobility is working with Voestalpine to increase the share of lower-emission ‘green steel’ it uses in rolling stock production.
High speed line concessionaire appoints Mott MacDonald as asset management and climate adaptation partner
UK: London to the Channel Tunnel high speed line concessionaire London St Pancras Highspeed has appointed Mott MacDonald as sole strategic partner under a three-year Sustainable Asset Management Framework.
Infrastructure: Embracing nature can enhance rail’s soft resilience
The International Union of Railways is urging more railways to adopt Nature-based Solutions as a means to enhance the resilience of infrastructure in an era when both the natural world and man-made assets are under severe pressure from climate change.
Infrastructure: Composite sleepers make a comeback
Norfolk Southern is among the US railroads looking afresh at the latest iteration of the composite sleeper. Greg Janson, President of supplier Triton Ties, explains to Nick Kingsley how a combination of recycled plastic and glass fibre material can offer durability and environmental gains compared to using wooden or concrete sleepers.
Network Rail launches weather learning programme for rail staff
Carbon Accounting Framework launched to save the rail industry time and money
Network Rail to improve flooding and coastal risk management planning
Accelerating research into the effects of weather on rail infrastructure
Network Rail trials passive heat exchangers to keep signalling cabinets cool in hot weather
Resilience: Transforming track maintenance in the face of climate change
Soil moisture deficit triggers temporary c2c timetable alterations
Horizon Scanning Service to highlight emerging risks to rail freight
London – Exeter train services cut because of embankment soil moisture deficit
Connecting Europe Facility grants awarded as calls grow to protect EU rail funding
Rail to benefit from €106bn German infrastructure renewal spend by 2029
Japanese expertise to boost Filipino railway efficiency
Options to replace diesel traction to be studied
RailGreen verifies rail freight emission reductions with biofuels
Station becomes carbon neutral five years after opening
Scenarios developed to help the rail industry plan for climate change
Research identifies carbon emissions in the railway supply chain
Eurostar to offer airline alliance sustainable rail connections