The effects of extreme weather on UK rail to be researched

Credit: Network Rail

Met Office (UK) and Network Rail have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate research into extreme weather and its effects on the railway, cutting the time needed to commission studies from months to days. The partnership will advance work on probabilistic weather forecasting and explore the complex links between rainfall, antecedent soil wetness, geology, and earthwork failures, helping keep passengers and freight moving more reliably.

Network Rail’s Industry Weather Response Director, Lisa Angus, said: “Extreme weather is one of the biggest challenges facing the railway and one of the major causes of delays to passengers and freight. Science plays a significant role in our response, in particular using the vast amount of data and data processing capacity the Met Office has. For example, we are one of the world leaders in understanding the links between rainfall and earthworks, from soil types to rain intensity, and that is thanks to our partnership with the researchers at the Met Office. This MOU will only help us increase our working together and provide a better deal for passengers – and taxpayers.”

Russell Shanley, Head of Programme Management for Network Rail’s weather team, explained: “Making decisions on when to run trains through storms and how fast to run them is a huge responsibility for our controllers and we need to give them the best information possible to make those calls. Currently, we understandably err on the side of caution and either slow trains down or stop them altogether, when it might be possible to keep things moving safely if we had the right data to drive that decision. This MOU will take us another step forward in that research and the drive to keep people moving safely.”

Met Office’s Director of Government and Industry Relationships Steven Calder said: “It’s great to deepen our relationship with Network Rail for the benefit of passengers. It’s only by working together that we can address some of the biggest challenges, and, powered by our weather and climate intelligence, we’ll help give Network Rail the tools, knowledge and expertise it needs to plan effectively for the future.”

The new agreement streamlines collaboration between the Met Office and Network Rail, allowing for faster sharing of data, the development of innovative science and research, and improved procurement processes. The partnership has already helped controllers decide when it is safe to run trains and at what speeds, improving safety and efficiency during extreme weather events.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “Our railways are the backbone of Britain’s economy, connecting communities and businesses across the country, and supporting the daily trips that keep the nation moving. Extreme weather shouldn’t impact people’s journeys or disrupt the reliable service passengers depend on and expect, especially when every delayed journey affects people getting to work, visiting family, or accessing vital services. This partnership between Network Rail and the Met Office is a game changer and represents exactly the kind of innovative collaboration we need to build a more resilient railway for the future. By combining world-class weather expertise with cutting-edge rail engineering, we’re investing in smarter solutions that will keep Britain moving, whatever the weather throws at us.”

Until now, the partners maintained a commercial relationship despite both being government bodies. The new MOU does not include day-to-day weather forecasts, which are supplied by MetDesk, providing operational guidance such as fire risk assessments and the Convective Alerting Tool that helps controllers manage heavy rain.