A new paper from electrification engineers at Furrer+Frey identifies five railway lines in need of immediate assessment and renewal to prevent further disruption and delays for passengers.
The summer 2024 update to their 2023 report Climate Resilience in Rail Electrification summarises the climate threats facing British railways, five strategic recommendations for the industry and the top five sections of electrification most at risk. Identified by the authors, these are:
- Manchester to Hadfield and Glossop
- London Fenchurch Street to Tilbury
- West Anglia Mainline lines
- West Coast Mainline (Crewe to Glasgow)
- Great Western (Paddington to Heathrow)
Four of the five are busy commuter lines into Manchester and London with the west coast mainline underpinning lines all over the northwest of England and Scotland’s central belt.
Noel Dolphin, co-author of the report and Managing Director of Furrer+Frey GB, said: “If we want to avoid train delays, cancellations and disruption, particularly on the hottest days of the year, we really need to look at renewing outdated equipment.
“There are still sections of track using equipment built before the 1990’s which cannot withstand our increasingly volatile weather.
“These could be cost-effective fixes to help get railway reliability back on track after the pandemic.”
Furrer+Frey is calling for the climate resilience of these lines to be assessed and reviewed urgently.
The report update can be downloaded here.
Image credit: Furrer+Frey
