Tomorrow's Railway and Climate Change Adaptation Final Report

3.5.5 Recommendations for action – CCS
Table 5:
Recommendations for action – CCS
Timescale
Short term
(to action or
implement
before end
of CP5:
2014-2019)
Recommendations
1. Establish the location of all critical lineside equipment and equipment cabinets. As
part of this, undertake research to obtain data about observed temperatures at
these locations (external, internal, ambient and surface) and flood risk of all types
(high temperatures, high precipitation, high sea levels and storm surges).
2. Identify options for heat and flood risk mitigation measures based on current good
and best practice knowledge and research outputs from relevant sectors e.g. the
power and energy sector (high temperatures, high precipitation, high sea levels
and storm surges). For example, high internal temperatures are often managed
by air conditioning systems. This tends to be a high maintenance option which is
susceptible to failures. It is recommended that the industry considers passive
systems such as external shading using structures, use of vegetation, and
painting cabinets with heat-reflective paint or coatings (high temperatures).
3. Undertake analysis to determine the optimum placement of CCS equipment
cabinets to protect from flood risk of all types (high precipitation, high sea levels
and storm surges).
Medium
term
(to action or
implement in
next 5-15
years: CP6
and beyond)
1. Assess whether electronic design temperature thresholds are still appropriate
given projected climate change. As part of this, carry out research to:
• Better understand the temperature sensitivity of silver migration in signalling
electronics which is currently a problem (high temperatures)
• Better understand the temperature sensitivity of semaphore signal cables which
are subject to similar sag problems as OLE cables (high temperatures).
2. Undertake a cost benefit analysis of temperature control options for any planned
upgrades of location cases. This would include taking into account radio-based
signalling which may remove the need for lineside kit (high temperatures).
Long term
N/A
(to action or
implement in
next 15-25
years)
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