Network Rail’s Wales and Borders route is now the first in the organisation to install local weather stations on existing GSM-R railway communication masts.
The move has been made in a bid to provide more accurate, real-time information in order to help teams respond in the event of severe weather events.
In total, ten stations have been installed across Wales and Borders. These will seek measure rainfall, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure directly from locations on the railway.
The technology, which was developed by Ninehundred Communications Group, has been implemented to ensure that the organisation is able to prevent a repeat of past severe weather events that caused both significant disruption and cost to the railway.
Between February 2023 and January 2026, 25 named storms affected the Wales and Borders route. Where complete performance data is available, each storm caused an average of over 38 hours worth of delays, and 179,000 GBP in train performance costs.
Of the 25 storms; Storm Darragh proved to be the most costly. When it hit Wales on 6 and 7 December 2024, winds reached 93mph at Capel Curig, with fallen trees and debris disrupting services across many parts of the country and costing 1.3 million GBP.
The investment comes as the Met Office has forecast an increased chance of wetter and windier than average conditions through late autumn and early winter, due to weather patterns like El Niño.
Installation & Better Local Information
The stations have now been installed at Whitland, Llantwit, Cilmeri, St George’s and Trewyn in south and mid Wales, and Craven Arms, Gobowen, Glantwymyn, Llanrwst and Buckley across north Wales and the Borders, with all locations having been chosen to fill gaps in existing weather monitoring whilst providing better information in areas vulnerable to severe weather.
Network Rail already works with weather forecasting specialists MetDesk to monitor conditions and anticipate severe weather, and these new stations are expected enhance this by providing local readings directly from the railway, giving operational teams a clearer picture of the conditions being experienced on the ground.
The use of existing GSM-R communication masts is expected to provide the required height for observations whilst avoiding both the cost and complexity of constructing separate installations.
Data from the stations will also be used to help MetDesk improve its forecasts, as well as help Network Rail refine its operational weather thresholds, giving teams greater confidence about when and where severe weather could affect the railway. This is expected to allow for a more targeted response in the case of a severe weather event – from the deployment of teams and inspections to informing when measures such as speed restrictions are needed – helping keep the railway safe while reducing unnecessary disruption for passengers in the process.
Daniel Booth, Head of Operational Weather Strategy at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said:Autumn is always one of the most challenging periods of the year for the railway, and a huge amount of preparation goes into reducing the impact on passengers and freight customers.
On the Wales and Borders route, we’re always looking at how new technology can help us better understand and respond to the challenges our railway faces. These new weather stations are a great example of that, giving our teams access to more accurate, localised information about conditions on the ground.
By learning from events like Storm Darragh and working closely with our weather forecasting partners, we can make better-informed decisions, respond earlier to changing conditions and ultimately help keep the railway running safely and reliably.
In addition to the new weather stations, Network Rail has announced an increase in wider autumn preparations across Wales and Borders, with four specialist treatment trains set to treat more than 54,400 miles of track. Thus far, teams have carried out targeted drainage improvements at locations prone to flooding, increased vegetation management to reduce the risk from falling trees and branches and have 10 dedicated Autumn Response Teams ready to respond to changing conditions.
