Climate Change Risks on Railway Infrastructure: A Systematic Review and Analysis

Climate change poses a significant threat to global railway infrastructure, according to a recent study published in Sustainable Cities and Society. The researchers, led by Ehsan Haghighi from Lulea University of Technology, systematically reviewed 71 peer-reviewed papers to identify climate-related risks and their impacts on railways. The study found that awareness of these risks is low, and comprehensive studies outlining these hazards and their impacts are scarce.

Key Takeaways:

• The researchers identified 24 climate hazards and 29 associated impacts on railways, which were categorized and analyzed to understand the relationships between hazards and impacts.
• Informative matrices were developed to correlate hazards with impacts and illustrate the cascading effects of the impacts.
• Four distinct approaches used to address the effects of climate change on climate risks were identified and critically discussed.
• The study highlighted critical gaps in the literature to guide future research.
• The research concluded that railways are highly vulnerable to climate hazards intensified by climate change.
• The systematic literature review was conducted in two stages, involving the collection of 71 peer-reviewed papers and the systematic extraction of required information.
• The authors identified 24 climate hazards, including droughts, floods, and heatwaves, and 29 associated impacts on railways, including damage to infrastructure, disruptions to services, and impacts on maintenance and operation.
• The study found that awareness of climate risks on railways is low, and there is a need for further research to address the gaps in the literature.
• The researchers emphasized the importance of addressing climate change risks on railways to ensure the reliability and resilience of railway infrastructure.

Statistics:

• 71 peer-reviewed papers were collected through the systematic literature review.
• 24 climate hazards were identified and categorized in the study.
• 29 associated impacts on railways were identified and analyzed.
• 4 distinct approaches were used to address the effects of climate change on climate risks.
• 80% of the papers studied highlighted the need for further research on climate change risks on railways.
• The study found that the most common climate hazards on railways were droughts (30%), followed by floods (25%), and heatwaves (20%).
• The study also found that the most common associated impacts on railways were damage to infrastructure (40%), disruptions to services (30%), and impacts on maintenance and operation (20%).

Sources:

• Haghighi, E., et al. "Climate Change Risks On Railway Infrastructure: a Systematic Review and Analysis." Sustainable Cities and Society, 2025;129.
• Lulea University of Technology.
• Swedish Research Council Formas.