October 13, 2026 - 148 views
Transport links across North Wales are to be considered as part of plans to make Wales’s roads, railways, bus services and ports more resilient to extreme weather.
The Welsh Government says lessons from recent heatwaves, storms and flooding are shaping future transport investment, as climate change brings greater risks of disruption.
Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper told the Senedd that practical measures were being developed with transport operators and other partners to keep services running during severe weather.
Rail services have already been affected by this summer’s extreme heat, with some trains withdrawn because of cooling-system problems and speed restrictions introduced. Transport for Wales is working with Network Rail to improve maintenance, inspections and weather monitoring.
Roads are another focus, with recent storms, floods and heatwaves informing how the strategic road network is managed. Salt and grit supplies are being monitored ahead of winter, while resilience training is being rolled out across all 22 Welsh councils to help them respond to flooding, landslips and storm damage.
The plans also cover bus services, with future vehicle replacement and network planning taking account of risks including flooding, overheating and power disruption.
North Wales’s links with Ireland are also a key consideration. Holyhead Port, a major gateway for passengers and freight, suffered prolonged disruption in December 2024. The incident led to the creation of an Irish Sea Taskforce to examine how similar problems could be prevented and how authorities should respond if a Welsh port closes unexpectedly.
A further resilience exercise is being prepared with partners on both sides of the Irish Sea, based on a scenario involving the unforeseen closure of a Welsh port.
The Welsh Government says future investment across rail, buses, roads and Metro infrastructure will aim to make transport more resilient to changing weather while supporting the move towards lower-carbon travel.
Mr Hooper said it would not be possible to prevent every disruption caused by extreme weather, but the network needed to be better prepared to respond and continue serving communities across Wales.
