Climate adaptation of railway infrastructure maintenance-(ClimRail)

Purpose and goal

The purpose of ClimRail is to develop a decision-support framework based on Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) to adapt railway track maintenance to the adverse effects of climate change. The objectives: -Develop and validate a risk-based method to assess the impact of climate change on plain tracks and identify vulnerable sections -Develop and validate a decision-support framework for maintenance adaptation using RCM -Test the methods on the Swedish Iron-ore line -Review maintenance regulations and suggest changes -Implement the developed methodologies at Trafikverket

Expected effects and result

The outcome provides a basis for assessing the effectiveness of maintenance and safety measures in view of climate change and recommended maintenance solutions. It improves track availability and prevents disruptions, which reduces costs and environmental risks. The project´s impact extends to robustness, environment, socio-economic factors, and competitiveness. Integrating climate threats into the maintenance program development process; strengthens the track´s resilience, functionality, and capacity utilization.

Planned approach and implementation

LTU handles project management, method, concept development, and documentation, and the industrial partners will be engaged in the verification and testing of the solutions. In addition, the partners will be trained through workshops and courses to use the developed methodologies and tools. The developed methodology and tools are expected to be implemented into Trafikverket processes by Mid-2025. The framework, its application, and results will be reviewed and audited using established roles and responsibilities, both internal and external to Trafikverket.