Management of traffic routes in the event of river flooding
Future-proof through sustainable flood protection
As a result of climate change, flood events are occurring more frequently and more intensively, which can lead to considerable damage and impairment of transportation routes such as roads, railways and waterways. The Deutsche Zentrum für Schienenverkehrsforschung (DZSF) at the Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA) has commissioned valantic to develop exemplary data sources in order to determine precautionary measures and strategies for modes of transport in the event of flooding.
Challenges
Flood events are becoming more frequent in Germany due to climate change. In order to better cope with future damage to transport infrastructure, precautionary measures and strategies must be developed for railways, roads and waterways to improve the protection of transport routes in the event of flooding.
Consulting approach
As part of the project, data sources on the management of transportation infrastructure (railways, roads and waterways) during river flood events are identified and evaluated. To this end, the project team conducts data and literature research and acquisition as well as data evaluation and -processing – in particular with reference to prioritized geographies. A working group accompanying the research ensures appropriate stakeholder and expert participation.
Customer benefits & solution
In Q4/2025, a catalog of the evaluated data and information will be available as well as a final report summarizing the findings and recommendations for further action.
The client
Since its foundation in May 2019, the Deutsche Zentrum für Schienenverkehrsforschung (DZSF) has been used as a federal departmental research facility for rail transport. As an independent federal institute at the Federal Railway Authority, it supports rail transport in Germany through practice-oriented research. This enables the development and implementation of important innovations that benefit the entire sector.
A central component of the work of the DZSF is the processing of rail transport-related issues of the Federal Government. The institute coordinates research activities and manages research topics in line with requirements. The transfer of knowledge is actively promoted through the publication of research results, the organization of colloquia and symposia and participation in conferences at national and international level.
The Challenge
Climate change is also causing changes in the area of rivers in Germany and is leading to more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense fluvial flood events. Such events have already had a significant impact on transportation systems in Germany in the past (e.g. flooding of the Ahr in Rhineland-Palatinate in July 2021). It is to be expected that further disruptions will also occur in the future, in particular the closure of rail, road and waterways. River flooding can cause considerable damage to transport infrastructure, with far-reaching consequences for national and even international passenger and freight transportation. In order to better assess the impact of flood events on individual transport networks, transport axes are to be analyzed in the future with regard to possible restrictions or failures. However, due to insufficient and not yet fully systematically structured data, it is currently not possible to make detailed statements about potential flooding of route sections or resulting route closures at different scales. For example, there is currently no systematic consolidation and evaluation of alarm and emergency plans or other relevant data sources for flood management for rail, road and waterway transportation.
Our consulting approach
The aim of the project is to create a structured and cross-modal overview of the management of transport infrastructure in the event of river flooding in Germany. By evaluating and merging researched and acquired data sources, preventive measures, alert levels and response strategies for the rail, road and waterway modes of transport in the event of flooding are to be determined for selected priority areas, for example. The desired result is a structured and comprehensive collection and analysis of data on incident management in the defined priority areas.
Approaches and methods
As part of the project, data sources on the management of transportation infrastructure (railways, roads and waterways) during river flood events are identified and evaluated. To this end, the project team conducts data and literature research and acquisition as well as data evaluation and processing, in particular with reference to prioritized geographies:
Data and literature research
The first step of the project involves detailed research into scientific studies, official reports and legal requirements in order to record the framework conditions for flood management in Germany. In addition, relevant geodata, such as water level time series, are collected from public and official sources and compiled in a structured database. This comprehensive research forms the basis for the subsequent project phases.
Data and information acquisition
The second step involves the targeted acquisition of data and information on selected priority areas. These areas are defined on the basis of their flood risk and traffic significance. Relevant stakeholders such as authorities, infrastructure operators and scientific institutions are contacted to collect data. Standardized questionnaires, interviews and workshops are used to obtain an insightful picture of existing protection measures, alarm plans and infrastructure provisions.
Data evaluation and data preparation
Once the data has been collected, the collected information is analyzed in a structured manner. The data is analysed separately by mode of transport and visualized spatially using GIS tools. The aim is to record affected transport routes in detail and present them in a clear and concise form. The results are compiled in a structured catalog containing tables, diagrams and maps to enable practical use of the knowledge gained.
Project results
The project will run until October 2025 and the results will be made available as a catalog of evaluated data and information, including a final report summarizing the findings and recommendations for the next steps. You can read them here in Q4/2025.
Questions about the project?
We are happy to help you!
Dr. Michael Eble
Partner & Managing Director
valantic Division Digital Strategy & Analytics