Huschke Diekmann
21 September 2025
Four lessons in developing resilient and future-proof rail networks
Around the world, rail networks are under mounting pressure from extreme weather, cybersecurity threats, and ageing infrastructure. This is bringing the issue of rail resilience to the top of the agenda and focusing attention on how to provide a reliable rail service in the face of multiple potential disruptions.
In countries like Germany and the UK, decades of underinvestment has led to delays on around a third of long-distance trains[1][2], rising maintenance costs, and declining passenger trust. And in Europe alone, flooding causes damages of approximately €580m annually to rail networks, which is expected to increase by 310% under a 3°C warming scenario without further adaptation measures[3].
Meanwhile, cyberattacks and terrorism on transport infrastructure have also increased in recent years[4][5]. As railways are critical for economic continuity and sustainable mobility, ensuring they can withstand shocks and continue operating reliably is now a top priority for governments and rail operators alike.
Ramboll’s Global Director for Rail, Huschke Diekmann, provides four key insights that network owners and operators should know about rail resilience and the steps they can take to address it:
1. How do you define rail resilience, and why is it becoming a strategic priority for rail operators and infrastructure owners?
Huschke Diekmann: “Rail resilience refers to the ability of rail systems to withstand, adapt to, and recover from disruptive events be they climate-related, technological, or operational. This includes ensuring infrastructure durability, maintaining a reliable service, and supporting long-term asset performance.
Resilience is increasingly seen not just as a technical consideration, but as a strategic necessity. Market demand is huge due to growing concerns, particularly around the network impacts of natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, and seismic events. Rail resilience is also intertwined with sustainability objectives such as using robust, low-carbon materials and systematically maintaining assets over a 30 to 50-year period to maximise life span and performance.
Technology plays a key role in this shift. For instance, health-monitoring sensors on bridges and tunnels can detect stress or structural fatigue early enabling targeted, scheduled, and cost-effective interventions. Other sensor systems ensure safe operations by triggering emergency train stops in case of floods or seismic tremors.
Beyond technology, resilience demands a shift in mindset where asset lifetime, maintenance regimes, and supply chain coordination are carefully planned from the outset.”
2. What are the key risks and vulnerabilities currently facing rail networks? And how should asset owners be prioritising them?
Huschke Diekmann: “Rail networks today face a broadening risk landscape. Climate-related hazards such as heat-induced track buckling, landslides, and flooding are becoming more frequent and severe. Asset owners should try and prioritise risks based on a combination of likelihood, impact, and system criticality. Climate adaptation planning should include detailed climate risk assessments, drainage upgrades, and design specifications for extreme temperatures.
Cybersecurity is another growing threat. With the digitalisation of asset management platforms and signalling systems, railways are increasingly exposed to cyberattacks. According to ENISA, the transport sector was the second most targeted sector in 2024[6]. In this relation, regular threat modelling, robust firewalls, and backup systems are essential.
Resilience must also be operational. This includes a methodical approach to asset management and the use of smart diagnostics to ensure that signalling systems, track switches, and power supplies are continuously monitored.”
“The most strategic action rail owners can take is to move from reactive to anticipatory planning. This includes investing in durable infrastructure, establishing performance baselines, and ensuring system interdependencies are addressed early.”
3. Can you share examples of how rail infrastructure has successfully adapted to disruptive events? What lessons can be drawn for future resilience planning?
Huschke Diekmann: “One exemplar case is Denmark’s national rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) . The initiative involves the network-wide replacement of ageing analogue signalling systems, over half of which were more than 50 years old, with digital signalling technology. This is expected to reduce signalling-related delays by 80% and will enable smoother cross-border rail travel, helping to ensure Denmark’s network is fit for the future. The Danish signalling programme is also being rolled out without disrupting day-to-day operations, making it a model for adaptive implementation.
Another example of how to embed resilience into rail projects is by employing the Alliance Model to infrastructure delivery. This model brings together the asset owner, contractors, and consultants under a single agreement with shared objectives such as cost efficiency, delivery timelines, and performance targets from the outset.
The resulting collaborative approach fosters transparency whilst reducing the likelihood of costly disputes and delays. It also ensures that all parties have a common interest in mitigating risks and are focused on delivering the best possible outcomes, thereby contributing to the long-term success of rail schemes. Projects such as The Crown Bridges and Light Rail Line 15 in Finland illustrate the benefits of adopting the Alliance Model including the facts that the latter was opened 10 months early and close to 10% below budget.
A future industry development that may help embed resilience into rail schemes is growing calls for planners and designers to take shared responsibility for infrastructure performance after project handover and over the lifetime of an asset. The market is shifting and those who respond proactively to delivering safe, efficient, and future-ready rail systems will be in the strongest competitive position.”
4. What practical first steps would you recommend to a rail asset owner looking to improve their network’s resilience today?
Huschke Diekmann: “For rail asset owners aiming to build resilience, three practical steps stand out:
- Start with a risk assessment. Evaluate vulnerabilities across physical infrastructure, digital systems, and supply chains. Identify where critical failures are most likely to occur and assess the lifecycle performance of key assets such as bridges, tunnels, and switches.
- Embed resilience into procurement. As rail consultants, we need to help network owners and operators define and evaluate resilience in tenders. Just as sustainability has become a key procurement metric, so too should resilience - whether it is the durability of materials, asset monitoring capability, or climate adaptability.
- Leverage digital tools. Predictive maintenance platforms, digital twins, and real-time asset monitoring can significantly reduce downtime. For example, AI-driven diagnostics can help identify anomalies in track conditions before they become operational failures[7].”
[1] Network Rail, Railway Performance, 2025 ↩
[2] Deutsche Bahn, Integrated Report, 2024 ↩
[3] European Commission JRC Publications Repository, Global warming to increase flood risk on European railways, 2019 ↩
[4] Germany: Second arson attack on rail line in two days, 2025 ↩
[5] Secureworld, Cyber Attacks on Railway Systems Increase by 220%, 2024. ↩
[6] ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity), Cybersecurity Maturity & Criticality Assessment of NIS2 sectors, 2024. ↩
[7] Europe’s Rail, “Research and Innovation Keeps AI on the Right Track”, 2023. ↩
Want to know more?
Huschke Diekmann
Global Sector Rail Director & Global Rail Spearhead Director