Exploring the economics of rail resilience: Flex Fund project insights showcased internationally

Dr Omar Hamza, lead of the DARe Flex Fund project Economic Impact of Proactive Adaptation vs Reaction Inaction in UK Rail Infrastructure, has presented findings from the project at two major international transport conferences. 

Funded through the Hub’s second Flexible Funding call, which focused on understanding and exploring economic dimensions, the project seeks to broaden understanding of the economic impacts associated with transitioning to more adaptable and resilient UK transport infrastructure.  

In September, Dr Hamza (University of Derby) shared the project’s emerging findings with researchers, policymakers, and transport professionals at conferences in Portugal and Malta. 

The European Transport Conference (ETC), organised by the Association for European Transport, was held at the University of Porto and brought together more than 500 researchers, policymakers, consultants, and transport professionals from over 30 countries. The conference programme explored the latest developments in transport research, policy, and practice.  

At the event, Dr Hamza delivered a presentation titled ‘Climate Disruption Costs in Mixed-Use Rail Freight Corridors’. The presentation highlighted the project team’s work examining the impacts of shared-line closure on rail freight operations, port partners, and passengers. It also explored how freight and wider impacts are represented within appraisal processes, approaches to managing uncertainty through scenario analysis, and the applicability of the research to mixed-use corridors elsewhere in Europe.  

The presentation prompted discussion around cross-operator collaboration, passenger impacts and how uncertainty should be incorporated into transport appraisal and decision-making. 

Later in September, Dr Hamza presented at the 19th International Conference Series on Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport (Thredbo) in Valletta, Malta. Jointly hosted by the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the University of Malta and the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney, the conference brings together transport operators, policy makers, planners, consultants, industry leaders, and academics from around the world.  

Dr Hamza’s presentation, ‘Digital Rail Resilience: Technology-enabled Appraisal of Climate Adaptation Investment’, used a passenger rail corridor in North East England as a case study. Focussing on the risks posed by heat and track buckling, the research examined the passenger and wider economic impacts of disruption and how these are reflected in investment decisions. The presentation also considered the role of sensing technologies and forward-looking modelling in targeting adaptation measures, the use of planning tools to support proportionate responses, and the implications of rail reform for decision-making and data sharing. 

Discussions following the presentation highlighted several recurring themes, including the importance of data sharing between organisations, improving the passenger experience during disruption, and effective timing for adaptation interventions. 

The DARe Hub team has presented work at many international conferences over the course of its programme and are delighted that one of our Flex Fund projects has featured at two high-profile European conferences, providing valuable opportunities to share insights on the economic case for proactive climate adaptation in rail infrastructure.  

The Flex Fund project was also highlighted at the recent DARe Researcher Conference, when PhD student Rasheed Abiodun Saheed (University of Derby) won second prize in the poster competition for his poster, “Adapt Now, or Pay Later? Costing Climate Resilience on UK Rail”. Read more about the Researcher Conference here.