Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
A UN report warns that transport systems in Europe, Central Asia, and North America will likely face more extreme weather events in coming decades. The Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Inland Transport outlines that flooding, high temperatures, reduced snow and ice, permafrost loss, and sea level rise will increase risks for transport infrastructure.
Currently, heatwaves in western Europe have caused train delays and cancellations in countries such as Belgium, Denmark, France, and the United Kingdom, due to melted asphalt, rail deformation, and failures in air conditioning and signaling systems. These issues highlight the vulnerability of transport networks to rising temperatures.
The report projects that transport infrastructure could see between 10 and 50 more days each year above 25°C, with some areas facing up to 200 days over this threshold. Such conditions increase concerns about pavement deterioration, bridge joint expansion, rail deformation, and wildfires near transport routes.
Coastal regions face additional risks, with estimates suggesting that 71 to 89% of global ports could be threatened by extreme marine storms by 2100. Nearly five million Europeans and the transport infrastructure they depend on may confront coastal flooding on an almost annual basis by then.
The economic implications are significant. UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean emphasized that disruptions in transport have major consequences for communities and entail substantial financial costs. Data from the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season showed $232 billion in damages, including $7.5 billion in port-specific losses annually, with systemic risks to global maritime transport, trade, and economic activities estimated between $81 billion and $122 billion per year.