Wales and Borders First to use Railway Communication Masts for New Weather Monitoring Technology
Network Rail’s Wales and Borders route has become the first in the organisation to install local weather stations on existing GSM-R railway communication masts, providing more accurate, real-time information to help teams respond to severe weather.
Ten stations have been installed across Wales and Borders, measuring rainfall, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure directly from locations on the railway.
The technology, developed by Ninehundred Communications Group, follows lessons learned from a series of severe weather events which have caused 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 more than 38 hours of delays and £179,000 in train performance costs.
Storm Darragh was the most costly, at £1.3 million. 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.
The investment comes as the Met Office forecasts an increased chance of wetter and windier than average conditions through late autumn and early winter, due to weather patterns like El Niño.
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The stations have 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.
The locations were selected to fill gaps in existing weather monitoring and provide better information in areas vulnerable to severe weather.
Network Rail already works with weather forecasting specialists MetDesk to monitor conditions and anticipate severe weather. The new stations will enhance this by providing local readings directly from the railway, giving operational teams a clearer picture of the conditions being experienced on the ground.
Using existing GSM-R communication masts provides the height required for the observations while avoiding the cost and complexity of constructing separate installations.
Data from the stations will also help MetDesk improve its forecasts and Network Rail refine its operational weather thresholds, giving teams greater confidence about when and where severe weather could affect the railway. This could allow a more targeted response - from deploying teams and inspections to informing when measures such as speed restrictions are needed - helping keep the railway safe while reducing unnecessary disruption for passengers.
Dan Booth, Head of Operational Weather Strategy at Network Rail, 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.”
Alongside the new weather stations, Network Rail is stepping up its wider autumn preparations across Wales and Borders, with four specialist treatment trains set to treat more than 54,400 miles of track. Teams have also 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.