ARA: creating sustainable transport

Industry Associations

Rail freight generates 16 times fewer emissions than road freight.

Rail’s role in creating a future sustainable transport system

The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released in April confirmed we are facing a ‘now or never’ turning point in our efforts to address climate change.

The report found our efforts to invest in a shift to a low carbon economy was about six times lower than it needed to be, with rapid change required to meet our future energy needs.

The findings may not come as a surprise to many, but highlight once again the urgent need to take action.

Rail has long contributed to the sustainable development of our cities and communities, offering low carbon mass transport compared to other passenger modes and safer, more sustainable freight transport options.

It continues to be at the heart of our communities, supporting environmental, health and safety outcomes that benefit our people.

However, as we embark on this global challenge to move to a low carbon economy, the rail industry will need to take a new leap forward to support our net zero future.

About 70 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to, or influenced by, infrastructure.

The transport sector contributed to almost a fifth of Australia’s emissions in 2020.

It is clear that greater use of rail, effective and efficient public transport options and a reduced reliance on personal transport need to be part of the solution.

But so too will the adoption of renewable energy sources, a greater focus on efficiency and a commitment to circular economy principles within the rail industry.

THE ROLE FOR RAIL

Rail has long played a key role in our sustainable development. Passenger rail travel generates five times less emissions than car transport, highlighting the importance of encouraging people to leave the car at home and choose public transport.

This has never been more evident than the present day, when the industry is actively working to bring people back to the rail network after the disruptions to our regular travel habits as a result of the pandemic.

The need for people to return to rail is an urgent one. If one in 10 passengers who took to their cars during the pandemic did not switch back to rail, Australia could incur $4 million in increased environmental costs.

On our freight network, rail freight generates 16 times fewer emissions than road freight, as well as delivering wider safety and sustainability benefits.

Greater use of rail has the potential to maximise the efficiency of the supply chain as a whole as the industry prepares to meet a growing freight task over the next decade.

It is clear rail offers a sustainable option to support our path to net zero.

But it will not be enough to stand still in the face of the current environmental challenges facing the world, and further action will be needed.

MAINTAINING A BIG PICTURE FOCUS

The ARA recognised the need for broader engagement with the infrastructure sector to address these challenges when it released its Sustainability Strategy in 2021.

The strategy confirmed a need for rail to contribute to net zero solutions as part of an integrated, whole of sector approach to our

Caroline Wilkie, chief executive, Australasian Railway Association.

sustainable development. At the centre of this focus is a consistent, national approach to created sustainable cities and communities, powered by infrastructure that supports our way of life.

That is why the ARA has recently partnered with the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) and Roads Australia (RA) on a project that will inform the decarbonisation of the transport sector.

The collaboration recognises this issue does not belong to one sector or one set of stakeholders: it requires a true meeting of minds across the infrastructure sector to truly influence the direction of our future development.

In coming together to deliver this project, our associations have recognised the intrinsic value of partnership in achieving our net zero future.

As we embark on progressing the recommendations of this research, place making will be at the heart of our ambition.

This starts with procurement and planning.

Just as the ARA has advocated for a national approach to procurement to improve efficiency and productivity across the industry, this approach will also drive more sustainable decisions, projects and innovation to support our future success.

Planning for low emissions solutions at the very early stages of a project supports better outcomes during project delivery and throughout the lifecycle of the asset itself.

This can make a powerful difference in both the short and long term, and highlights why a nationally consistent approach that puts the needs of the community first is so important.

That approach must encourage active transport, such as walking and cycling, as well as public transport options that get people out of their cars and taking more sustainable approaches.

While there is much to do, there are already exciting signs of what the rail industry can deliver to support a net zero future.

HOW THE INDUSTRY IS RESPONDING

We have seen in recent times an industry-wide commitment to supporting the decarbonisation of the transport sector and in particular rail.

This has included a commitment by state governments and industries at all levels to development a range of strategies to support a net-zero future.

All Australian states and territories have set commitments or aspirations to achieve next zero emissions by 2050 or earlier.

The electrification of the network over many years has supported low emissions transport in the rail industry across Australia and New Zealand.

Transitioning the industry to renewable energy sources is the next step in the

The Victorian Government’s solar tram initiative offsets 200,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from the tram network each year.

delivery of improved outcomes – and that is already happening.

For example, the Canberra Light Rail aims to be carbon neutral through energy efficient design and operations, renewable energy generation and the efficient us of resources throughout the asset lifecycle.

The project’s construction achieved a Leading as built rating from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council, recognising the careful consideration of sustainability measures from the project’s early stages.

The light rail network uses 100 per cent renewable energy sources to power its light rail network, vehicles and infrastructure.

The innovation on display on the network also extends to the light rail vehicles themselves, which use regenerative braking technologies that direct power produced by braking to power substations.

The vehicles themselves have also been constructed using eco friendly and end-of-life recycling materials, with a target for 93 per cent of vehicle components to be recyclable.

In Sydney and Melbourne, renewable energy is also a focus, with Sydney Trains confirming a renewable energy deal in 2021 to support its transition to net zero, and the Victorian Government’s solar tram initiative offsetting 200,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from the tram network each year.

The potential for further innovation across the network is significant, particularly when you consider hydrogen fuel cell technology being used on the Coradia iLint train that commenced commercial services in Germany in 2018.

From a freight rail perspective, there is also much to be excited about.

Earlier this year, Rio Tinto confirmed the purchase of four battery electric trains for use in the Pilbara region of WA, as part of the company’s own strategy to cut back on carbon emissions.

Local trials are expected to begin in 2024 in partnership with Wabtec.

Fortescue Metals Group has also commenced the development of its regenerating battery-electric Infinity Train, in addition to purchasing battery powered trains to be delivered in 2023.

These initiatives highlight the significant role industry is playing in leading innovation to reduce emissions in the sector.

PLANNING FOR OUR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The rail industry’s response to these issues will require collaboration, partnership and constant focus.

That is why the ARA is hosting its inaugural Rail Sustainability Conference in June to bring industry together to discuss the projects, initiatives and innovation that will take us forward.

The conference will build on the ARA’s Sustainability Strategy and provide a platform to discuss a range of issues, including decarbonisation, alternative fuels, resilience, diversity and inclusion and sustainability leadership in rail.

With sustainable development considered one of the main global challenges facing the world as well as our region today, I encourage you to participate in this key event to discuss how rail can be part of the solution to the challenge of sustainable development.