Climate Resilience

Scotland's climate is changing.

To maintain a resilient railway, we need a detailed understanding of how our railway may be impacted by weather.

According to the latest State of the UK Climate Report from the Met Office, when compared to earlier in the 20th Century:

  • The average annual temperature recorded in Scotland has increased by around 0.8°C
  • Average rainfall totals recorded in Scotland have increased by over 100mm a year
  • The 10 warmest years recorded in Scotland since records began have all occurred since 1997

According to data issued by Dynamic Coasts:

  • Scottish tidal records show that over the past 20 years, relative sea-levels around Scotland have been increasing on average by 3 mm/yr
  • Rates of erosion on our soft coastline (dunes / beaches / soft sediment) have nearly doubled since the 1970’s to 1m/yr
  • The railway network, over recent years, has been significantly affected by climate change and extreme weather conditions

The impact of human induced climate change is affecting Scotland’s Railway. For example, heavy rainfall, tree falls and flooding are more frequent. Plus, we’re also seeing new challenges like the record-breaking heat we experienced in 2022 as well as increased frequency and intensity of storms, and temperature changes.

Climate resilience is a strategic priority identified in Scotland’s Railway’s sustainability strategy. Its Climate Ready Working Group has the objective of ensuring Scotland has a green, robust, more resilient railway that can adapt to the impact of climate change. ScotRail are a key stakeholder and contributor to this group, ensuring continued improvement to operational activities and a safe reduction in disruption caused by climate change.

Our Performance Improvement Group ensures daily, weekly, and monthly actions are taken and lessons are learnt. Planning and adaption help maintain the resilience of the service, and this also helps to grow public confidence in how we respond to extreme weather events.

What you can do

Check before you travel to keep up to date with the latest service information, especially during adverse weather conditions. The easiest way to do this is by using the free ScotRail app or Journey Planner .

If you would like to find out more information about our Climate Resilience activities, please contact [email protected] .