The large‑scale study commissioned by the Catalan Office for Climate Change analyses the impact of climate change on Catalonia’s railway and road infrastructure and proposes adaptation strategies to address the most extreme weather scenarios.
The media outlet Nació Digital has recently published an extensive report on the train lines most exposed to the impacts of climate change in Catalonia. The article highlights vulnerable sections of Rodalies, FGC and AVE, particularly in the face of phenomena such as the intensification of torrential rainfall, heatwaves, strong wind gusts or rising sea levels. The piece presents the conclusions of a study commissioned by the Generalitat to ERF‑WATTEGA, which has made it possible, for the first time, to identify in detail the potentially most vulnerable sections of the Catalan road and railway network under the climate scenarios projected for 2050.
This project, developed between 2020 and 2021 by the ERF‑WATTEGA team, forms part of the Catalan Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2021‑2030 (ESCACC30) and was commissioned by the Catalan Office for Climate Change (OCCC). Its objective was clear: to improve knowledge of the risks, vulnerabilities and adaptation capacities of Catalonia’s land transport infrastructure and thereby contribute to the planning of actions to increase its resilience.
A pioneering analysis in Catalonia
The study, led by ERF‑WATTEGA, extended to the whole of Catalonia a previous report focused on the Integrated Metropolitan Mobility System of Barcelona, carried out in 2020 on behalf of the ATM.
The project was based on a detailed analysis of climate projections, historical impacts on the territory and reference documentation from other regions of the country and from abroad. The regionalised climate scenarios of the ESCAT‑2020 project of the Catalan Meteorological Service were used and, with the participation of Lobelia Earth, specific projections were generated for additional climate indices. The consultancy Cinesi also contributed its expertise in mobility.
In addition, the work was supported by a technical committee comprising the ATM, the Directorate‑General for Mobility Infrastructure, the Directorate‑General for Transport, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya and the OCCC.
Vulnerability diagnosis and specific mapping
The report identified 17 types of potential impacts on infrastructures, associated with 9 causal climate variables or phenomena. The main climate risks identified include four variables: high temperatures, heavy precipitation, strong wind gusts and sea level rise.
Within the framework of the project, 122 maps were produced which, in addition to including the results of climate projections for the 2050 horizon, define various risk maps for infrastructures. These identify the sections of the road and railway network potentially most exposed to adverse climate scenarios and also indicate those where the consequences could be more severe due to the high volumes of mobility they support.
As a result of this analysis, it was identified that 30% of the network was located in areas where accumulated rainfall over a single autumn day exceeded 60 mm. Sections such as the R1 in the Maresme, the R3 in Osona and Ripollès, or the R4 in the Vallès and Penedès were identified as particularly sensitive; many of which appear today in current news coverage.
From diagnosis to action: adaptation strategies
Beyond the diagnosis and mapping generated, one of the most valuable contributions of the ERF‑WATTEGA study is the proposal of 16 action measures, divided into 26 actions. Among the most noteworthy strategies for Catalonia’s railway infrastructure are the following:
- Improvement of drainage systems to cope with episodes of intense rainfall.
- Installation of monitoring sensors on the infrastructure itself and on surrounding elements, such as embankments, to track changes and extreme conditions.
- Reinforcement of embankment stability and review of construction parameters in new developments.
- Physical protection in coastal areas to address sea level rise.
- Use of materials and equipment resistant to high temperatures.
- Increased solar protection for outdoor facilities (stops, stations, depots and track areas).
- Adoption of preventive management and maintenance strategies.
As reported by Nació Digital, one of the most relevant conclusions of the report is that preventive action is far more efficient — economically (it can reduce costs by two to four times) and operationally — than reactive interventions after extreme events, an idea that reinforces the need to apply the knowledge generated.
Knowledge at the service of the country
The recent publication by Nació Digital highlights the relevance and usefulness of a project that, five years later, continues to be a benchmark tool for decision‑making in the field of mobility and transport. The ERF‑WATTEGA study underscores the importance of moving into action in a context where climate change is already present in everyday life.
With this project, WATTEGA reaffirms its commitment to sustainability, spatial planning and the resilience of infrastructures in the face of climate change. We will continue working to provide technical and strategic knowledge at a key moment for the country’s future.
