Train accidents could be caused by solar storms switching signalling from red to green according to new research examining the impact of space weather.
Train accidents could be caused by solar storms switching signalling from red to green according to new research examining the impact of space weather.
Solar storms can trigger powerful magnetic disturbances on Earth, creating geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) which could potentially interfere with electricity transmission and distribution grids.
A team led by PhD researcher Cameron Patterson and Professor Jim Wild from Lancaster University modelled how GICs flowed through the track circuits of AC electrified lines powered with overhead cables.
Using two routes - the Preston to Lancaster section of the West Coast Main Line, and the Glasgow to Edinburgh line – the team modelled how GICs induced in the rails could cause rail signalling to malfunction.
Read more at Lancaster University
Photo Credit: Alexei_other via Pixabay
