Rail infrastructure systems and hazards

At present, railway systems play a vital role in modern transportation systems by quickly and safely transporting large amounts of cargo and a large number of passengers. Because of an increase in capacity and the growth of investment in railway infrastructure improvement, railway infrastructure has become a valuable asset throughout the world. Not only the increase in passengers and freight but also the changes in the global climate have become the reasons that compel railway infrastructures to frequently undertake maintenance operations. Because of the increased demand, railway track infrastructure needs a significantly higher capacity to carry passengers and freight while ensuring its good conditions. Apart from increasing the traffic demand, many natural hazards, such as storms, earthquakes, snowstorms, extreme temperatures, and flash floods, can be a cause of failure of aging railway infrastructures. It appears that approximately 5%–10% of all the failures are weather-related, being mostly caused by high temperatures, icing, and storms. This chapter presents a critical review of the effects of the major natural hazards including extreme temperatures, earthquakes, and flooding on the railway infrastructure systems.