Strategies for boosting climate resilience in Germany's railway sector
Deutsche Bahn Tackles Climate Challenges to Enhance Rail Safety
Extreme weather events, such as forest fires and heatwaves, have disrupted rail services in Germany this year, with numerous connections being cancelled or rerouted. The country has experienced a hot and dry early summer, making it particularly vulnerable to such incidents.
To address these challenges, Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national railway company, has taken several measures to safeguard trains and infrastructure against fires, strong winds, and climate change impacts.
One of the key actions is the operation of a specialized "natural dangers management" unit, which prepares for storms, heatwaves, and heavy precipitation. The company has also implemented a monitoring system to assess the health of trees near rail tracks, aiming to prevent damage from falling trees during storms.
Deutsche Bahn has acknowledged its vulnerability to extreme weather and is pursuing modernization efforts, including infrastructure renewal and upgrades to control and safety systems. This includes the complete overhaul of the Hamburg-Berlin railway line, scheduled from August 2025 to April 2026, which aims to not only renew tracks and switches but also to enhance traffic management flexibility and system resilience.
The company's proactive natural risks management and investments align with broader national climate adaptation strategies, supported by a special government fund of 500 billion euros for infrastructure improvements to increase safety and climate resilience across Germany's rail network.
In Italy, tracks are painted white on their sides to absorb less heat from sunlight, a practice that could potentially be implemented in Germany to mitigate the effects of extreme heat on rail infrastructure.
Railway teams in Germany regularly trim vegetation in a six-meter-wide corridor along the tracks to reduce the risk of fires. Digital Vegetation Management, the railway's AI system, monitors trees outside the six-meter safety zone for potential dangers.
Deutsche Bahn is also testing a method to minimize fire risk by watering embankments with specially equipped trains. In response to heavy rain, the company has been working on a heavy rainfall plan to prevent landslides and flooding of road underpasses during heavy rainfall.
However, extreme weather events are not the only challenges facing railways. In recent years, the EU region has seen a decline in fatalities from train accidents. Yet, climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, and railways are being affected more often. A regional train derailed and crashed near Riedlingen, southwestern Germany, on Sunday evening, resulting in injuries to more than 40 passengers, some of them seriously.
Despite these challenges, traveling by train remains safer than driving cars and also more sustainable than flying. Engines and air conditioning systems can be a problem for trains and their passengers in extreme heat, but the latest generation of ICE 4 express trains has two independent air conditioning systems in each car to maintain climate control in a wide range of temperatures.
Infrastructure renewal and upgrades, advanced monitoring, and national climate adaptation funding are all crucial components in Deutsche Bahn's strategy to safeguard trains from fire, strong winds, and other climate change effects. The company's commitment to climate adaptation is evident in its decision to stop using glyphosate and start using pelargonic acid instead, which is less environmentally harmful. Additionally, around €500 million is being spent on the electrification of two lines, which were previously served by diesel engines, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
New bridges are being designed to better withstand extreme weather, with a focus on reducing exposure to water pressure and debris during floods. The flood disaster in the Ahr Valley in western Germany and neighboring regions in 2021, which killed 185 people and partially closed railway lines in the area, underscores the importance of such measures.
As climate change continues to impact infrastructure, Deutsche Bahn's approach provides a model for other railway companies seeking to adapt and ensure the safety and sustainability of their services.
- As climate change intensifies and increases the frequency of extreme weather events, Deutsche Bahn's proactive natural risks management strategy aligns with broader national climate adaptation efforts to safeguard its rail infrastructure.
- In line with their commitment to sustainability, Deutsche Bahn is electrifying two lines previously served by diesel engines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, spending around €500 million for this transition.
- The company is also striving to minimize its environmental impact by replacing glyphosate with pelargonic acid, a less environmentally harmful substance, in its operations.
- In the face of climate change and its impacts on infrastructure, new bridges are being designed with water pressure and debris resistance in mind to better withstand floods, similar to measures deployed in response to the Ahr Valley flood disaster in 2021.
