The Rail Revolution: How UK rail can push for net zero

The modernisation of the UK’s railways has been a hot topic in recent years and months, thanks to Labour’s pledge to renationalise most railway services within five years after the Conservative government’s controversial part-cancellation of the high-speed HS2 railway.

The question of modernisation extends from speed and comfort to sustainability and covers both passenger travel and freight. Though trains are at least 12 times more efficient per passenger than flight – and, freight-wise, three to four times more efficient than trucks – there’s work to be done to optimise the rail service to be as sustainable as possible.

Driver education

Electrification is one of the clear and obvious steps towards a net zero rail industry. But, with under 40 per cent of the rail network powered by electricity, additional measures are necessary to support the transition.

Driver (re)education around driving in the most efficient way possible could help reduce energy usage by up to 10 per cent. Most of the teachings in this area are centred around three key measures, or actions:

-        Accelerating as efficiently as possible

Train providers should be teaching drivers to remove their foot from the accelerator as quickly as possible when travelling downhill – or beginning to slow down. This activates the train’s fuel cut off switch, reducing fuel usage in each journey.

-        Reducing engine idling

Switching off the train’s engine during stationary periods will reduce overall fuel consumption, particularly during long journeys with multiple stops.

-        Skipping gears if possible

When accelerating quickly, train drivers should be encouraged to skip a gear in order to increase speed as efficiently as possible and reduce fuel wastage.

Modernising onboard technology

Today’s trains and their successors can also reduce overall emissions through the adoption of increasingly modern onboard technology. One such example is through regenerative brakes, which capture the kinetic energy through braking to help power the train itself.

These are already in action on certain rail services, such as Thameslink’s Class 700 trains, which have been found to be up to 50 per cent more efficient than their predecessors.

Investing in customer experience

Trains can also become more efficient by maximising the number of passengers they transport, though it’s important to strike a balance between customer comfort and passenger density. With rail fares continuing to increase for the time being, train operators must ensure they’re adding value to maximise the number of full seats for every journey.

This could be achieved through increasing the range of travel perks available – from free WiFi being offered as standard to food pre-order services and loyalty schemes for regular travellers.

It could also be achieved through increased reliability, with providers such as West Coast Avanti delivering just 41.2 per cent of services on-time between April and June 2024. If train companies can further increase the quality of services and do more to encourage commuters not to drive, then the overall efficiency of the rail industry can, and will, improve.

Carbon offsetting schemes

Retrospectively, today’s train companies can look to reduce the carbon emissions attached to each journey through various offsetting schemes, negating the company’s overall impact on the planet. Some rail providers are already engaging with similar schemes; Network Rail is currently supporting a £1m scheme to plant over 80,000 new trees and offset their own emissions.

Meanwhile, initiatives such as Carbon Neutral Britain are playing a key part in negating the overall impact of CO2 generated through rail operation. Train operators should be encouraged – and possibly incentivised at a national level – to purchase credits related to their carbon emissions, providing a positive contribution to the sector’s overall carbon footprint.

While complete rail electrification remains the most important step towards a more sustainable rail industry, gradual implementation of the measures listed above will help smooth the industry’s push towards net zero. Working procedures to increase the current railway system’s efficiency must be undertaken to drive wholesale change for tomorrow.

Richard Moss is Head of Civils at Instarmac, a specialist company focusing on the manufacture and distribution of cement and bitumen-based products. Moss has spent ten years at Instarmac, working closely with the company’s UltraScape and UltraCrete brands – the latter of which is used extensively across the UK’s road and rail industries. 

Richard Moss, head of civils at Instarmac