Network Rail has unveiled a £2.8bn plan to protect the UK’s rail infrastructure from extreme weather threats caused by climate change.

The money will be invested in a variety of technologies to improve the reliability of Britain’s railways, alongside increases to maintenance funding.

Around 600,000 metres of drains will be built, rebuilt, redesigned or see increased maintenance to enable the railway to cope with much heavier rainfall and reduce flooding. The programme will have 400 extra drainage engineers to oversee the efforts.

‘Smart’ movement sensors will be installed to help give early warning of any land changes in the hope that engineers will be able to react faster ahead of full landslips, which can damage infrastructure and lead to delays and cancellations.

Other technologies being introduced include GUSTO, a system that uses topography to better predict wind speeds. It can distinguish valleys, trees and buildings to enable trains to run at higher speeds during stormy weather,...