Rail·LA Metro·—·LA Metro

LA Metro Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

Spring tensioners prevent wire sag at 45°C · landslide barrier walls · Rory Shaw Wetlands Park

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Key insight

Moving from balance weights to spring tensioners on overhead lines is a low-cost mechanical change that eliminates heat-related dewirements — a transferable fix for UK tram and light rail systems experiencing increasing summer temperature extremes.

Transferability to UK: MediumOverhead catenary spring tensioner upgrade (replacing balance weights) is directly applicable to UK light rail and tram networks experiencing heat-related sag o

LA Metro's climate adaptation plan addresses multiple simultaneous hazards: spring tensioners replace traditional balance weights on 27.2 miles of overhead catenary to prevent high-heat sag and dewirements; a barrier wall protects tracks from an ongoing San Clemente landslide (closed 5 times in 3 years); a 46-acre wetland park manages stormwater while providing public recreation. Green Bonds finance the programme.

Climate drivers

High temperaturesHeavy rainfallFlooding – surface water

Impacts

→Landslides→Water damage→Overhead wire sag→Wildfire→Service disruption

Adaptation measures

  • Overhead catenary spring tensioner upgrades (27.2 miles)
  • Landslide barrier wall
  • Wetland park for stormwater
  • Blue water bus detour protocols
  • Infrastructure elevation in flood zones

Assets affected

TrackOverhead linesStationsBuses and BRT

Investment

$10.7m OCS upgrade; Green Bonds total $890m+

Band: £1m–£10m (OCS)·£100m+ (programme)

Delivery period

—

  • The Los Angeles Metro Rail is an urban rail transit system serving Los Angeles County, California, United States .
  • Metro Rail is owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) .
  • Metro relies on a wide range of assets to provide service to riders. Assets affected by climate risks include :
  • Public-facing infrastructure maintained by Metro: this includes buses (BRT and other bus routes), rail (light and heavy rail lines and stations), bikes and bikeshare locations, park & ride locations and customer service centers.
  • Non-public-facing infrastructure maintained by Metro: this includes communication systems and non-public facilities that support public-facing assets, such as bus depots.
  • Other infrastructure not maintained by Metro: this includes assets Metro relies on for service such as roads and bus stops.
  • Climate change poses risks to many of Metro's services, impacting the communities and businesses that depend on them. Risks include more frequent and intense heat waves, intense rainfall, flooding, storms, wildfires, and other hazards .
  • By mid-century, some of Metro’s assets are projected to be at high or extreme risk from certain climate hazards. If not addressed, this could result in significant operational disruption, increased costs, or localised infrastructure damage . Organisation LA Metro Transport sub-sectors Rail; Highways; Light Rapid Transit First order climate hazards (cause) Heavy rainfall; Sea level rise; High temperatures; Flooding – surface water Second order climate hazards (effect) Rockfalls, landslides, avalanches; Water damage; Wildfire Transport assets impacted Track; Overhead lines Adaptation measures Hardening/protecting infrastructure; Adjusting operations/changing behaviours; Relocating existing or designing new infrastructure Location Los Angeles, USA Years of delivery Ongoing

Ref: ID_23 · LA Metro · Curated & verified by HIVE

Transferability to UK: Medium

Overhead catenary spring tensioner upgrade (replacing balance weights) is directly applicable to UK light rail and tram networks experiencing heat-related sag on overhead lines. Integrated stormwater/wetland approach applicable to transport corridor land management.

UK contexts

UK light rail and tram networksNetwork Rail OLE in high-heat corridorsUrban transit corridor stormwater management

Applicable UK-wide

Transfer to other sectors (AI)