Build shared understanding across industry

Overview

A key aspect of the SRP is to build a shared understanding of sustainable development for railways across the industry and its stakeholders. This is achieved through engagement and communication on issues of priority to the industry both internally and externally.

Biofuels and sustainability: A briefing for the rail industry

This new briefing aims to set out the current “state of play” concerning the sustainability of biofuels, which companies may wish to consider when contemplating their potential use.

Prompted by the Review of the indirect effects of biofuels production, by Renewable Fuels Agency chairman, Professor Ed Gallagher in July 2008, this briefing has been produced within the Sustainable Rail Programme, following consultation across the rail industry and with other stakeholders.

The Case for Rail 2007

The industry proudly presents the first review of sustainable development for the industry. The Case for Rail 2007:

• Explores sustainability in the context of rail
• Summarises our current sustainability performance
• Illustrates the industry’s response to the sustainability challenges and opportunities.

Enhanced copies of the charts used in the Case for Rail 2007.

Read more in the RSSB Press Release

Key highlights from the review include:

• The start of a process to build a 30-year rail sustainable development strategy. This is the first of 13 principal commitments made by the rail industry in this document.
• The carbon dioxide emission of a typical passenger rail journey is about half that of an equivalent car journey and about one-quarter of an equivalent journey by air.
• Commitment to work with the Department for Transport (DfT) to define a voluntary-led agreement to reduce carbon emissions.
• Britain has the fastest-growing railway in Europe, with passenger and freight services both increasing their market share.
• Regenerative braking on the a.c. overhead electrified network is reducing the energy use of electric passenger trains by 15-20%.
• Train punctuality is 86.4% - the highest level for six years.
• The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated £370 million to upgrade physical accessibility at stations.
• The railway is a remarkably safe form of transport, which has progressively become even safer in recent years.
• Network Rail has invested £8 million for the removal of graffiti in order to improve the passenger experience
• The industry’s new passenger trains are among the quietest in Europe and new freight trains are ahead of the field in utilising low-noise technology.

Railways - A Sustainable Future

Date: 31 October 2007
Location: Wellcome Trust Centre

"Railways – A Sustainable Future," the Industry’s conference on sustainable development, sought to build a shared understanding of the role rail has to play in delivering a sustainable future.
The Conference:

• Explored sustainability in the context of rail
• Summarised rail’s current sustainability performance
• Examined progress to date
• Explored key opportunities and challenges for the future

The Programme:

Presentations delivered at the conference can be downloaded below.

Links to Sustainability - related research

Sustainable Rail Briefing: Mandatory Carbon Reduction Commitment - Traction Energy

In June 2007 Defra consulted on the implementation of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) scheme. The aim of CRC is to set up a mandatory emission trading scheme amongst organisations to cap carbon levels at a decreasing rate year on year. Organisations which have annual electricity consumption in excess of 6,000 MWh from mandatory half hourly meter will be included within this scheme.

This consultation stated that rail’s non traction energy will come within this scheme, but Defra would welcome views from the rail industry on ‘key issues specific to the rail sector that Government should bear in mind in developing the CRC policy design’.

However, for the time being, Defra has decided to exclude rail’s traction energy from the scheme. It requests stakeholder views on ‘the best ways to ensure energy efficiency benefit and absolute emission reduction from train energy use’. The rail industry consider a voluntary approach more effective in achieving carbon reductions, so wishes to maintain this exclusion.

The attached briefing has been written to enable the rail industry to make a consistent response to the Government’s consultation on the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) by 9 October 2007 deadline, presenting a convincing case for rail traction to be covered by a separate voluntary scheme.

Sustainable Rail Briefing

Cross-industry response to DEFRA consultation on carbon reduction commitment