In response to emerging global environmental challenges, the UK has adopted some of the most ambitious carbon reduction targets in the world. The transport sector has a clear role to play in helping meet these targets.
Rail is already a low carbon transport mode, performing well against road and aviation for both passenger and freight transport in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
However, the rail industry recognises that there is significant scope to further reduce carbon emissions. We are committed to improving the carbon efficiency of rail services, so that we can first stabilise and then drive substantial reductions in absolute greenhouse gas emissions, while continuing to accommodate growth on our network.
We continue to monitor and report our traction CO2 emissions. These are reported annually to the Office of Rail Regulation and are then published in the National Rail Trends Yearbook.
The most recent figures (from 2009/10) show that rail services result in 55.0 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometre (2008/09: 53.8) and 27.6 grams of CO2 per freight tonne kilometre (2008/09: 26.4). These compare very favourably with other mass transport modes in the UK.
The Sustainable Rail Programme
We are part of an industry-wide initiative, The Sustainable Rail Programme (SRP), which is developing a cross-industry plan for managing traction carbon emissions. This work forms part of the planning process for our next regulatory period, Control Period 5 (CP5), which runs from 2014-2019.
In autumn 2010, as part of the rail industry’s Planning Ahead process, SRP published a long-term vision for carbon, and is now finalising more detailed plans and trajectories for publication in late 2011.
With an appropriate carbon management framework and a long-term commitment to electrification we believe we can continue to accommodate substantial demand growth while achieving absolute reductions within the decade, and provide very low carbon rail services by 2050.
Train metering
In 2010/11, we updated our billing systems to allow train and freight operating companies to be charged for electricity based on their own metered usage. Moving from modelled (estimated) billing to metered billing is the first step in facilitating traction carbon efficiencies, providing accurate data that can then be managed and reduced. Virgin West Coast Trains is now fully opted-in for on-train metering, and it is likely that further operators will be participating in the coming years.
Electrification
We have substantial plans to electrify parts of the rail network, which will improve the carbon efficiency of services today. Importantly, it will also lay the foundations for very low carbon services in the future, as electricity generation is decarbonised in line with Government plans.
We recently completed electrification works on the Airdrie to Bathgate line in Scotland and have plans for further electrification in the current regulatory control period (CP4), including the first phase of the North West electrification scheme between Manchester and Liverpool.
These have been enhanced by the recent Government commitment to electrify the Great Western Mainline from London to Bristol, Cardiff, Newbury and Oxford in CP5, together with further phases of the North West programme.
Whole Life Carbon Footprinting
A whole-life carbon footprint of the rail industry was published in September 2010, the result of an industry research project undertaken by the consultancy Best Foot Forward. This provided the first comprehensive assessment of Britain’s rail industry carbon footprint and highlighted some key opportunities for improving performance which the industry is now building on.