A new five year action plan, outlining how the nation's railways will respond to and address the challenges of a changing climate, has been published by Scotland's Railway.

Produced in partnership with Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail, the 109-page 'Climate Ready Plan' outlines key infrastructure investment from April 2024 to March 2029.

Actions include improving the resilience of the rail network against the physical impact of climate change, alongside investment in climate science and adaptation capabilities to strengthen the industry's decision-making, and the development of a longer-term adaptation strategy for managing the risks associated with changes in Scotland's climate.

Network Rail Scotland's director of engineering and asset management, Alan Ross, said: "We know that our climate is changing at an unprecedented rate, and that this is having an impact on Scotland's Railway.

"In our current climate – which is already warmer and wetter – we know that extreme weather events can impact our railway in a way that causes disruption for our customers.

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"Our plan will look at how we can implement new and improved climate science and adaptation capabilities that will strengthen our decision-making processes and help us manage our changing climate in the future."

David Lister, safety and sustainability director for ScotRail, added: "Our vision is to deliver a safe, sustainable, inclusive and accessible railway for Scotland.

"Climate resilience is a strategic priority for Scotland's Railway, and this plan will keep track and train working together to ensure Scotland's Railway is adapting to the impacts of climate change while targeting actions that enable the continued safe operation of the railway and reduce the disruption climate change can cause."

Jonny Casey, head of climate ready leadership at sustainability charity Sniffer and manager of the Adaptation Scotland programme, said: "Our climate is changing, and while some of these changes are avoidable, other consequences are now unavoidable. We need to adapt to live well with present and future impacts. Scotland's Railway is central to connecting our places, and a vital system for business and leisure transport on which many other services depend.

"We are delighted to see Scotland's Railway take such a leading role in Scotland's infrastructure resilience planning. This work will help ensure the railways are able to adapt our changing climate as well as inspiring action from peers and partners across Scotland through Network Rail's membership of the Adaptation Scotland Public Sector Climate Adaptation Network."

Scotland's Railway has said that it plans to invest £1.9 billion in rail infrastructure across Scotland over the next five year.

This includes:

• more than £400m towards the resilience of the network against extreme weather and future changes in climate

• over £100m on earthworks,

• £100m on lineside infrastructure including drainage and,

• over £40m on structures like bridges and tunnels

A copy of the Climate Ready Plan for Scotland's Railway can be found here.