🕒 Article read time: 2 minutes
The Net Zero railway revolution is speeding towards us
Within the Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP), published in July 2021, is a commitment to make the rail network Net Zero by 2050 – a move supported by Logistics UK and members – through an extensive electrification programme and use of battery and hydrogen technologies. The Rail Environment Policy Statement: on Track for a Cleaner, Greener Railway was published alongside the plan, which sets out in more detail the Government’s direction for the rail industry on environmental sustainability.
Alex Veitch, General Manager for Public Policy at Logistics UK, said: “With transport the largest contributor to UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the logistics industry is aware of the part it must play in reducing its emissions and is making notable progress in this space already.”
Technology is developing rapidly with Britain’s first hydrogen powered train making its debut journey in September 2020, with an aim to start carrying paying passengers by the end of 2021. Progress continues to be made on the electrification of Britain’s railways, with two fifths of the network now electrified. In the last three years, the Government completed almost 700 track miles of rail electrification in England and Wales.
AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Mr Veitch continues: “Electrification is the most viable solution for reducing rail emissions, particularly for freight; a belief supported in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, where electrification is detailed as likely to be the main way of decarbonising most of the network.”
Logistics UK has long been asking Government to fund “infill” electrification projects, which can be delivered cost-effectively and swiftly, to enable rail freight operators to immediately switch services over to electric traction. Mr Veitch continued: “We are pleased to see this will form part of the Government’s electrification strategy and that the Government is committing to working with the rail freight industry to ensure that the existing electric network can be better used. We also await promised detail on future electrification programmes, with the Government confirming the programmes will be led by the newly established body, Great British Railways.
MULTI-POWERED APPROACH
“While electrification will dominate the network, there is still a place for alternative traction power, such as battery and hydrogen trains, in less used parts of the network owing to the high cost of installing electrification,” continued Mr Veitch. “However, it remains to be seen how suitable these technologies will be for moving heavy freight trains, or whether their use will be focused on passenger travel.
“And of course, there is more to the railways than train and track: For rail to be truly Net Zero, the associated infrastructure, such as stations, terminals and depots, must also be zero emission, and any fuels used across the network must be sourced renewably.”
CONSTRAINED CAPACITY
“Increased capacity for rail freight will be vital for the logistics industry to transition effectively to Net Zero; the development of HS2 will be crucial in unlocking this capacity and supporting shifts from road and air to rail.
“Logistics UK welcomes the introduction of a rail freight growth target – as initially mentioned in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail and reinforced in the TDP – to encourage growth of the sector and increase the modal shift from road to rail, leading to a reduction in GHG emissions,” said Mr Veitch.
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR RAIL
Logistics UK will now work with the Government on its plans to introduce a rail freight growth target and its intention to develop policies to incentivise the take up of low carbon traction by rail freight operators. The business group will be continuing its engagement with the Government on the details, future actions and forthcoming strategies outlined in the plans.
*logistics.org.uk/rail
Published On: 29/07/2021 16:00:00
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