Operational readiness for climate change of Malaysia high-speed rail

Abstract

The Paris Agreement of December 2015 signifies global unity to limit global warming to well below 2°C (above pre-industrial levels) and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1·5°C. The global community now agrees that anthropogenic climate change is unequivocal. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the global average combined land and surface temperature has increased by 0·78°C. Although the magnitude of change in mean temperatures is relatively small, attendant extreme weather events have been shown to have increased in frequency, and are projected to increase in the future. The potential impacts of climate change on railway infrastructure and operations have not been fully assessed in the literature. The projected urban growth in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore has led to the necessity to establish a high-speed rail (HSR) system between the two. However, the existing railway network in the region has been significantly affected by severe weather conditions such as rainfall, lightning, wind and very high temperatures. This research addresses a knowledge gap regarding the potential impacts of climate change on future rail projects in the region, and points out the vulnerabilities that may lead to impaired operations and system failures. These insights are intended to inform the holistic consideration of climate change impacts in the design stage of HSR systems in Malaysia and beyond.