As RIA rightly points out, an electrified railway is the decarbonisation technology suitable for mainline freight trains. But with one freight train taking around 70 lorries off the road network, we mustn’t discount the huge potential that even diesel-powered rail freight has to shunt the transport sector as a whole towards a greener future. After all, diesel-powered rail freight produces 76% less CO2 than an equivalent road journey, whilst simultaneously providing a resilient transportation method for bulks and aggregates. Moving such materials by road is a significantly more complex proposition.
Underlining rail’s essential efficacy, a recent WSP white paper details how rail transportation is already one of the lowest-energy modes of transportation (per person or per ton of freight). Its authors further highlight how this already convincing environmental performance (in the shape of lower CO2 emissions) “improves greatly” if the electricity for that train comes from renewable sources. Recent research from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport further supports the “low hanging fruit” of electrifying major rail freight flows, effectively shifting more goods from road onto what could be a zero-emissions transport mode.
Rail freight’s potential to reduce costs, mitigate environmental impact and give forward-looking companies an opportunity to be better neighbours within the communities they operate is more than just theoretical. Highland Spring Group Ltd offers a powerful example of how forward-looking companies are unlocking rail’s potential; its new and award-winning rail freight facility in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, means it can now look forward to c.8,000 fewer annual lorry movements and an annual reduction of around 3,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions by shipping the 450 million litres of natural source water it bottles every year predominantly by rail.
In a broader sense, its unique ability to move vast quantities of materials and commodities safely and efficiently means rail freight also has a role to play in facilitating a greener supply chain. As such, it is set to play an increasingly key role in moving hydrogen and liquified carbon from carbon capture plants around the UK to where they are needed – a carbon efficient transport system supporting the further decarbonisation of our economy. For these reasons, it seems obvious that the electrification of the primary passenger and freight routes should remain the short- to medium-term goal for UK Government.
The bigger picture
Rail should be considered part of a joined-up transport network; one that considers the end-to-end journey of goods and passengers and supports and optimises other modes to maximise sustainability potential, whether that’s public transport and active travel, or freight by water. You don’t have to look far to see evidence that this is happening; Network Rail’s recent introduction of 450 EV charging points at its railway station car parks, and its ongoing research into how it can transition towards a fully electric fleet of maintenance vehicles, great examples of multi-modal thinking.
Only by ‘joining the dots’ can we offer the sort of connectivity that will boost customer demand and reduce our reliance on road.
While fully decarbonised railway traction makes the case for a multi-modal transport solution even more compelling, there is no silver bullet to get us there. However, as the reality of spending restrictions bite while the pressure for progress grows, there are tools – new and proven – that can accelerate our journey to a net zero railway and strengthen the case for a joined-up approach to sustainable transport.