Transport

Effective and reliable transport systems are key to the economic sustainability of Scotland, ensuring the movement of both goods and people.

This is particularly relevant in the more peripheral areas of Scotland, where the failure of one system could in effect cut off a community. Weather conditions such as temperature, snow, wind, frost, ice and rainfall inevitably affect Scotland's trunk road network, so it is therefore essential that the transport sector and businesses that rely significantly on good transport networks are aware of the risks that climate change may pose and are resilient to cope with these risks. In the video below, Graham Edmond, Head of Network Maintenance, Transport Scotland outlines the importance of taking account of climate change in Transport Scotland's work.

Key Impacts

Landslides and flooding of roads and railway tracks due to increased rainfall
Damage to rail tracks and road surfaces in extreme weather
High temperatures – damage road surfaces and railway tracks
Congestion caused by severe weather events – putting pressure on other transport options
Extreme weather – causing disruption to ships and air travel
Financial loss to companies who rely significantly on transport for their business
Potential damage to earthworks for embankments and bridges
Infrastructure damage and station closure caused by local flooding
Coastal erosion may result in rerouting of coastal roads
Rising sea levels may reduce usefulness of existing harbour infrastructure
Increased growth of vegetation in the areas surrounding the road network, leading to reduction in visibility and increased requirements for grass cutting/ hedge trimming.
Road surface drainage failures - drainage capacity exceeded resulting in flooding and possible transfer of silt from carriageways/verges into drainage system.
Excess water on roads creates road hazards e.g. reduction in visibility due to spray and loss of skid resistance
Ground water levels decrease subsidence affecting road or adjacent items/elements

Key Opportunities

Less snow and ice in winter leads to reduced need for gritting and fewer disruptions caused to businesses.
Opportunity to use alternatives to transport which will increase resilience and in many cases may also reduce carbon emissions.

What’s happening?

Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework Transport Sector Action Plan

A Transport sector action plan is included within Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework. The plan provides an overview of the broad range of work that will be undertaken over the coming years to strengthen the resilience of the sector to the impacts of climate change. This plan will evolve and will be frequently updated.

Transport Scotland

Transport Scotland is the national transport agency for Scotland. It is responsible for strategic road and rail networks in Scotland. Transport Scotland has published a number of reports in relation to adaptation and is currently implementing recommendations from these reports.

Scottish Road Network Landslides Study

This study commenced following three major landslides in August 2004, which had a substantial impact on Scotland’s road network. It focuses on procedures for assessing, ranking and managing the hazards associated with landslides. The report details means by which areas susceptible to such hazards may be identified and the methods by which they can be dealt. Scottish Road Network Landslides Study

The landslides study comprises two parts (Part 1 and Part 2). The initial study (Winter et al.,2005a; 2005b) collated and presented the background information and developed the plan for the second part. The second part of the landslides study presents the proposed means of debris flow management on the trunk road network and is documented in this report.

Scottish Road Network Landslides Study: Implementation

Scottish Road Network Climate Change Study

This report was commissioned by the Minister for Transport following three major landslides in August 2004. The study looks into the potential trends in climate change in Scotland and how these might affect the road network. Following on from this a further report, Scottish Road Network Climate change Study – Progress on Recommendations was published in 2008 detailing how the recommendations made in the study have progressed.

More Information

Transport Scotland (Climate change and the roads)