Solar Storms Threaten Train Signals, Experts Warn
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- Cameron Patterson of Lancaster University warned that space‑weather‑induced currents could flip railway signals from red to green, creating a risk of high‑speed collisions.
- Solar storms generate geomagnetically induced currents that can interfere with the direct‑current track circuits used by many rail networks to detect train presence.
- Sweden experienced a documented signal‑switching incident during a July 1982 solar storm, the first clear case linking GICs to railway signalling anomalies.
- Russian researchers have identified statistical correlations between solar‑storm activity and signalling faults on Russian rail lines.
- Extreme solar events are estimated to occur roughly once every 30 years, and a 1‑in‑100‑year storm might occur soon, posing a low‑probability but high‑impact risk.
Why it matters: Rail operators must invest in shielding and monitoring to avoid signal failures that cause costly crashes and service shutdowns, prompting costly upgrades to safety systems.
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