Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has taken recent steps to improve the resilience of railways to extreme weather conditions.

The Department for Transport has plans in place and underway with industry to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather caused by climate change on the railway.

Network Rail, and the wider rail industry, are working to improve our resilience to climate change impacts and more widely to disruptive events. Network Rail published its fourth adaptation report in December 2024 which provided a more detailed and updated climate risk assessment and associated adaptation action. For the first time, two train operating companies published reports under the adaptation reporting power, recognising that the risks posed by the changing climate will affect their operations and customers too. In addition, adaptation commitments are being progressed in train operating companies' business plans for the first time.

The Department is also planning to publish its finalised transport adaptation strategy which will set out priorities for adapting to climate change and help drive further engagement with industry.