Risk Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Railway Infrastructure Asset

Climate change poses various challenges to the operation and maintenance of rail infrastructure assets. The impact of climate change and the implementation of associated measures depend on geographical locations, demography, etc. Therefore, a climate change impact analysis needs to be performed at both local and regional infrastructures. In this paper, the most common climatic impact on railway infrastructure assets of urban areas, including rail, switches and crossing, have been considered. The data were collected through a nationwide questionnaire survey on the Swedish railway infrastructure, railway maintenance entrepreneurs, and municipalities to assess the risks posed by the climate change. A framework of risk and vulnerability assessment is developed for railway infrastructure. The study indicates that track buckling and vegetation fires that occur due to the impact of hot temperatures and rail defects and breakage resulting from exposure to the cold temperatures pose a medium level of risk. On the other hand, supportability losses caused by cold temperatures are categorized with high level of risk. The impact analysis helps infrastructure managers identify and prioritize climate risks and develop appropriate climate adaptation measures and actions to cope with future climate change effects.