KEY FACTS
- Freight railroads prepare year-round for flooding, extreme heat, wildfires, snow, ice, and other severe weather.
- Railroads monitor conditions in real time and adjust operations when necessary to protect employees, infrastructure, and communities.
- Trains return to normal service only after affected track, bridges, signals, and other infrastructure have been inspected and determined safe.
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Freight railroads operate a nearly 140,000-mile network 24 hours a day across every region of the country. From hurricanes and floods to wildfires, extreme heat, and winter storms, severe weather is an ongoing part of railroad operations. As climate-related weather events become more frequent and intense, railroads are strengthening their networks with more resilient infrastructure and continuing to monitor their networks year-round to protect employees, customers, and the nation’s supply chain.
How do freight railroads prepare for and respond to extreme weather and natural disasters?
Railroads prepare for severe weather long before it arrives. They identify vulnerable locations, strengthen infrastructure, improve drainage, elevate track in flood-prone areas, implement fire prevention programs, and install systems that detect flooding, high winds, earthquakes, and other hazards.
As storms approach, operations centers monitor conditions around the clock. Railroads may reroute trains, move locomotives and railcars away from danger, position repair crews and materials, and coordinate with emergency management agencies. Customers receive regular updates throughout the event.
After conditions improve, inspection teams assess the network using ground crews, drones, helicopters, and, when needed, bridge divers. Repair crews clear debris, replace damaged track and signals, restore communications, and reopen the network in phases until normal operations resume. Railroads also support disaster recovery by delivering food, water, fuel, lumber, and other emergency supplies while helping communities recover after major storms.
Once conditions improve, inspection and repair crews assess affected track, bridges, signals, and communications systems. Using tools such as drones, helicopters, and specialized inspection equipment, they identify damage, make repairs, and restore service in phases. Railroads also play an important role in disaster recovery by delivering the fuel, food, lumber, and other supplies communities need to rebuild.
How do heavy storms and flooding affect railroads?
The biggest challenge isn’t usually the water you can see—it’s the damage you can’t. Flooding can wash away the foundation beneath the track, weaken bridges, overwhelm drainage systems, and create hidden hazards that aren’t immediately visible. Railroads track water levels and storm conditions in real time, protect vulnerable parts of the network, and inspect track, bridges, and drainage systems before trains return.
Learn more about storms and flooding →
Can trains still operate in the snow?
Freight trains can continue operating through snow, ice, and extreme cold when it’s safe to do so because railroads prepare long before winter arrives. They winterize locomotives, use switch heaters and specialized snow-removal equipment to keep critical routes open, increase inspections, and adjust operations as conditions change.
Learn more about winter operations →
What do railroads do when it’s hot?
As temperatures rise, steel rail expands, increasing the risk of track buckling. Railroads reduce that risk through engineering, inspections, maintenance, and operational practices, including heat-related speed restrictions when necessary.
Learn more about extreme heat →
What about wildfires?
Wildfires create constantly changing conditions. Railroads monitor fire activity, wind, visibility, and evacuation zones while increasing inspections and coordinating with emergency responders. Depending on conditions, they may slow or stop trains, reroute traffic, deploy specialized fire trains to help protect railroad infrastructure, or temporarily close affected routes until they can be safely inspected.
Read the AAR Audio Narration
Freight Rail Climate Resiliency & Disaster Recovery
This is AAR Audio, and you’re listening to Freight Rail Climate Resiliency and Disaster Recovery.
Freight rail operates in every season.
Every day of the year.
Across nearly 140,000 miles of track.
That means trains don’t just travel through cities and farmland.
They also cross mountains, deserts, floodplains, and coastlines.
As weather becomes more frequent and more extreme, railroads are making their networks stronger and more resilient.
The goal is simple.
Keep employees safe.
Protect the infrastructure.
And keep America’s supply chains moving.
Preparation starts long before a storm arrives.
At operation centers, railroads keep an eye on weather around the clock.
Sensors placed throughout the network also monitor changing conditions in real time.
They can detect earthquakes.
High winds.
Flooding.
And other hazards that could affect train operations.
When conditions change, railroads begin preparing immediately.
They may reroute trains.
Move locomotives and railcars out of high-risk areas.
Position maintenance crews closer to where they may be needed.
They’ll also stockpile fuel, ballast, generators, replacement track, and other repair materials before a storm arrives.
Customers also receive regular updates so they can plan for potential service disruptions.
Railroads are also strengthening the network itself.
They’ve modernized older bridges and structures.
Mapped areas vulnerable to flooding and raised tracks.
Improved drainage systems.
They continually clear out vegetation to reduce wildfire danger.
In some areas, railroads even use specialized fire trains to help protect the network during wildfire season.
One challenge that’s becoming more common is extreme heat.
Steel expands as temperatures rise.
If the rail gets hot enough, it can begin to bend or buckle, which is often called a sun kink.
Railroads have managed this challenge for decades.
Today, they weld rails together into long, continuous sections that are stronger and more stable than older jointed track.
They carefully manage the temperature at which those rails are installed.
They monitor rail temperatures throughout the year.
And when conditions become extreme, they issue heat orders that temporarily slow trains to reduce stress on the track.
New predictive technologies are also helping railroads identify where heat-related problems are most likely to occur before they happen.
Floods, hurricanes, winter storms, and wildfires each bring different challenges.
During major storms, railroads work closely with emergency management agencies and local officials.
As soon as it’s safe, engineers and maintenance crews begin inspecting the network.
Some damage can be seen from the ground.
Other areas are inspected using drones, helicopters, and specialized equipment.
Crews clear debris.
Repair bridges.
Replace track.
Restore signals.
And coordinate with utilities to restore power and communications.
In some cases, service returns at reduced speeds while repairs continue.
The priority is always safety.
Then restoring the network as quickly as possible.
Freight rail also plays an important role after disasters.
As communities begin to recover, trains help deliver the supplies they need.
Food.
Water.
Fuel.
Lumber.
Construction materials.
And other essential goods.
Railroads also help remove debris and work alongside emergency responders and relief organizations during recovery efforts.
Extreme weather is changing.
So is the freight rail network.
Railroads continue investing in stronger infrastructure.
Smarter technology.
And better emergency planning.
Together, those investments help protect employees, strengthen supply chains, and keep goods moving even when conditions are at their toughest.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Freight railroads prepare year-round for flooding, wildfires, extreme heat, winter storms, and other severe weather. Through resilient infrastructure, real-time monitoring, operational adjustments, and thorough inspections, they keep freight moving whenever it’s safe to do so—and restore service as quickly as possible when severe weather disrupts the network.