To better understand how the weather impacts the railways, Network Rail has signed a deal with the Met Office.

The deal has included a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which is an agreement which outlines their intentions and the roles in which the two businesses will play to carry out the research.

The MOU also means that the research will be sped up as the time needed to commission research is cut down massively.

The plan is to look into probabilistic weather forecasting and thus the link between geology and antecedent soil wetness (water content within the soil prior to a storm or landslide), as well as earthwork failures and rainfall.

The new agreement will also allow them to share data and develop new research, which can propel forward and streamline the processes.

They also plan to look into how they can help controllers make more in-depth decisions on running trains and their speed during adverse conditions.

Day-to-day forecasting will remain the same and does not fall under the MOU, so the processes behind decisions on fire risk and rain risks will remain the same.

Network Rail has been committed to how it can counteract the effects of climate change for quite some time; further information on this can be found here.

“Our railways are the backbone of Britain’s economy, connecting communities and businesses across the country, and supporting the daily trips that keep the nation moving.

“Extreme weather shouldn’t impact people’s journeys or disrupt the reliable service passengers depend on and expect, especially when every delayed journey affects people getting to work, visiting family, or accessing vital services.

“This partnership between Network Rail and the Met Office is a game changer and represents exactly the kind of innovative collaboration we need to build a more resilient railway for the future. By combining world-class weather expertise with cutting-edge rail engineering, we’re investing in smarter solutions that will keep Britain moving, whatever the weather throws at us.”

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy