Adaptation of Railway Infrastructure to Climate Change (ARISCC)

ARISCC focuses on an integrated management of weather and climate related natural hazards such as flooding, severe storms, landslides, rock fall, avalanches etc in a way that keeps and improves railway infrastructure performance and avoids or minimizes damage to railway infrastructure assets. It starts with natural hazard management under today’s weather conditions and develops solutions and strategies to prepare for the changed weather and climate conditions of the future. The project aims to: 1) give an overview over ongoing and planned activities regarding the adaptation of railways to extreme weather situations and climate change. 2) identify and classify the main effects of climate change on railway infrastructure and rank the main impacts according to their damage potential. 3) identify the areas of highest priority in this field and provide a systematic inventory of adaptation measures, strategies and policies in each of the high priority areas. 4) assess risks & associated costs, potential damage, performance and economic costs. 5) assess options of adopting standards for new and existing infrastructure to the effects of climate change. 6) develop a practical guidance document on how to identify vulnerable assets and locations for a concrete line, how to choose the appropriate adaptation measures and how to assess related costs and benefits. 7) collect good practices and cases of adaptation measures.