Managing climatic hazards 

Published on Updated on

Storms, floods, intense heat or extreme cold often have an impact on the network and, consequently, on the service of trains. Our teams are mobilised to prevent and repair damage to railway infrastructure in order to ensure the safety and regularity of traffic.

Impact on infrastructure and services

Today, climatic hazards are responsible for 5% of service disruption on the rail network. Intense weather events have a direct and sometimes serious impact on facilities: landslides caused by heavy rain, trees falling onto the tracks due to strong winds, overheating or freezing of electrical equipment in extreme temperatures, etc., all of which hinder train movements.   

Prevent and cure

We take action throughout the year to limit these impacts. As a preventive measure, we adapt our infrastructure using technical and technological solutions to anticipate and mitigate disruption. As a corrective measure, we deal with the consequences of climatic hazards to restore service as quickly as possible and in complete safety. 

Climatic hazards on the network

  • 5%

    of service disruption on the rail network is due to climatic hazards

  • 735,000 minutes

    lost due to bad weather in 2023

  • 1.5 million €

    is the annual budget allocated to our Natural and Technological Risks programmes

Three types of action

Mapping of risks

Identifying risk areas 

Our teams identify and list the facilities, structures or sensitive areas that could be affected by the climatic hazards, and where service could be slowed or stopped.  

Monitoring incidents 

We also monitor incidents on the tracks, in order to establish types that enable us to put in place appropriate and standardised responses.   

Monitoring regional development 

We keep a close eye on regional planning and its impact on our infrastructure, through localised monitoring concerning in particular regulations that could have an impact on us.  

Examples of sensitive areas

Monitoring, detection and alert

Field visits 

Throughout the year, we carry out monitoring rounds on the network to detect any anomalies and check the operation of protective devices (sensor net, lift pump).   

Following a weather episode or an alert, we carry out targeted rounds in the areas concerned or identified as being at risk.   

During these rounds, our agents observe the vegetation (for example, a tree with overgrown branches on the edge of the tracks) and use measuring tools to assess the situation.  

Measuring tools 

Sensors on the tracks 

We are making increasing use of electronic tools to detect anomalies on our facilities and to trigger interventions by our agents. Located on the tracks, the sensors measure temperature variations, warn of falling boulders or tree branches, inform of geometric changes to the tracks, any weakening of the ground, etc.   

“Surveille” trains   

Real concentrates of technology, our three Surveille trains monitor conventional tracks to ensure the safety of service. Their cameras and sensors collect data on the rails and equipment, which is analysed by our experts to detect any anomalies.     

Alert systems  

Our alert systems are essential for monitoring our installations and triggering the intervention of our teams on the ground.  

Our various systems

Seasonal plans

We deploy seasonal campaigns to anticipate sensitive periods in terms of weather.  

Hot weather plan

Adhesion plan

Cold weather plan

Crisis management

We put in place specific crisis management measures to deal with climatic hazards, adapted to each extreme weather event. The aim is to ensure that service can continue or resume as quickly as possible, while guaranteeing the safety and comfort of people (customers, local residents, agents). Upstream knowledge of at-risk areas enables priority interventions to be targeted after climatic hazards.  

To deal with these situations, we get rapid assistance from the fire brigade, police and health services, in accordance with a civil protection agreement.

Examples of measures in the event of a crisis

Towards a more resilient network

Climate change was identified in 2015 as a major risk for the national rail network.

Since then, we have been carrying out impact studies on key routes, identifying the assets to be upgraded as a priority and defining the conditions for the resilience of the network as a whole. This strategy of anticipating aims to preserve rail infrastructure over the long term, by adapting its dimensions and reinforcing its robustness. It also involves always anticipating extreme weather events and their exceptional crisis management more effectively.