Severe weather now an all year round challenge

Experts from roads, rail and ferries have come together to outline their plans to prepare for the impact of severe weather on the transport network.

Representatives from Transport Scotland, Police Scotland and the Met Office were joined by ScotRail, Network Rail, CalMac and trunk road operating companies at Shettleston Rail Depot in Glasgow to remind the travelling public that difficult conditions can present a challenge at any time of year, and how their preparations must be ready to tackle more than just snow and ice over the winter period.

The Met Office’s named storm process has helped highlight the increasing impact of severe weather and climate change on the transport network – from gale force winds to flooding and landslides – which often leads to cancellations and delays for passengers and deliveries.

The transport network faces the threat of severe weather all-year-round. Over the last three years, flooding has restricted the trunk network for an average of 62 days each year, compared with the 2015-2017 average of 20 days.

This winter, there will be around 240 gritters undertaking patrols of the trunk road network, spreading salt and ploughing snow from around 40 depots across Scotland. The annual winter service runs until May 15^th. The winter operations include:

Dedicated snow plans for key routes like the M8, M74, M77, M80 and AWPR
Improved mitigation, detection and management of ice on the Queensferry Crossing.
Around 497,000 tonnes of salt currently in stock, which is more than was used for the entirety of last winter.

Scotland’s rail network is protected by a number of proactive resilience measures to manage severe weather, including:

A UK-first 24/7 Weather Desk, staffed by specialist meteorologists, to deliver real-time forecasts to guide operations.
Seasonal Resilience Teams deployed across the network to support preparation and recovery.
Specialist equipment including snowploughs, a £1 million Winter Train for defrosting infrastructure, and a dedicated Network Rail helicopter to ensure lines are clear and safe.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said:

“Severe weather has traditionally been associated with winter, snow, ice and gritters. However we just have to look back at the impact of Storm Amy and Storm Floris to realise that we can face challenging conditions at any time of year.

“We can see the real impact of climate change almost every day, be it on our television screens or through social media. Today gives us a chance to highlight all of the preparation that is put in place ahead of winter by our transport operators and resilience partners, as well as an opportunity to look at the hard work being carried out behind the scenes to cope with severe weather.

“It’s also important that travellers continue to plan ahead when the conditions take a turn for the worse. The Met Office’s named storm process and Traffic Scotland‘s gritter tracker have all helped raise awareness of the issue but the public also have a role to play – from drivers making sure their vehicles are winter ready to commuters on the rail and ferry networks checking with operators ahead of time to see how services are affected.

“Because of climate change we are seeing more frequent heavy rain and more weather extremes throughout the year. We heard from experts today across all transport modes about what they are doing to prepare, as it’s vital we all work together to face the challenge and keep Scotland moving.”

National Operations Manager for Resilience at Transport Scotland Martin Thomson said:

“Modern technology is once again at the forefront of managing severe weather.

“In addition to work on the Queensferry Crossing to mitigate ice, a new advanced weather forecasting system, new sensors to provide early warning of risk levels, and automatic barriers are now in play, if required.

“Effective communications with the public and stakeholders is also critical. We know from recent named storms that, alongside Police Scotland, Traffic Scotland is one of the most trusted sources and a voice of authority.”

Route Director at Network Rail Scotland Ross Moran, said:

“Severe weather doesn’t respect railway timetables, which is why our teams are ready to respond throughout the year to conditions including strong winds, flooding, and ice. We use a wide range of tools to monitor and manage these risks, including our 24/7 weather desk with in-house meteorologists, a dedicated helicopter for aerial inspections, and specialist kit such as snow ploughs and de-icing trains to keep the railway safe and operational.

“Storms Amy and Floris showed how quickly conditions can change and how important it is to have boots on the ground and the right technology in place. Today’s event is a reminder of the value of working together across the transport sector to protect Scotland’s infrastructure and keep people moving whatever the weather.”

Head of Road Policing Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren said:

“Resilience structures in Scotland bring together a multi-agency approach from a national level to local partnerships. Every agency has a role to prepare, respond and recover from severe weather.

“We have police officers embedded with Transport Scotland to work alongside trunk road operating companies, gaining a joint overview of traffic management. Hardworking frontline officers will be responding on the ground and in communities across Scotland, doing their best in what can be extremely difficult conditions.

“Everyone can help emergency services by planning ahead, check for road closures in advance, pay attention to weather warnings and listen to travel advice.”

Head of Operations at CalMac Finlay MacRae said:

“CalMac operates lifeline services within a complex marine landscape, which means that challenging weather conditions can affect our ability to operate effectively. The safety and comfort of our customers takes priority, which is why weather can lead to cancellations.

“Planning is key when it comes to severe weather, so we actively take part in resilience partnerships and planning events across our network with emergency services, local authorities, and other transport providers.

“Communication is also vital, and we strive to deliver clear messages as early as possible with customers digitally and through frontline staff when significant weather events are forecast.

“Today's event gives us the opportunity to share good practice and to recognise the importance of working together.”

Met Office Associate Director of Customer Relationships John Harrison said:

"Being prepared for severe weather is the best way of minimising impacts. With climate change, we're already witnessing an increased frequency of weather extremes in the UK so it's crucial that people listen to advice from Transport Scotland ahead of the winter season, and also keep up to date with the latest weather forecast for signs of impactful weather on the way."