VIEWPOINT FEATURE |
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Delivering the goods Alex Veitch
The route to net zero for rail Alex Veitch, General Manager for Public Policy at Logistics UK provides an overview of Logistics UK’s response to the government’s approach to the decarbonisation of the rail industry
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n July 2021, the government published its transport decarbonisation plan, Decarbonising transport: a better, greener Britain, its ‘greenprint’ for transitioning transport to a Net Zero industry. Within the plan is a commitment to make the rail network Net Zero by 2050 – a move supported by Logistics UK and its 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. 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, and further developments for freight are taking place overseas: Canadian Pacific’s Hydrogen Locomotive Program is in the process of developing North America’s first hydrogen-powered linehaul freight locomotive. 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, and since the start of 2019, contributed more than £9 million to 26 FoaK (First of a Kind) projects that will help decarbonise the railway or reduce harmful emissions. We are pleased to see the government pledge to electrify more of the network to enable electric rail freight to run on more routes. In the view of Logistics UK and its members, electrification is the most viable solution for reducing rail emissions, particularly for freight; a belief supported in the Williams-Shapps Plan for
Progress continues to be made on the electrification of Britain’s railways, with two fifths of the network now electrified.
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; 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 government detail on future electrification programmes, with the government confirming the programmes will be led by the newly established body, Great British Railways. While electrification will dominate the network, there is still a place for alternative traction power, such as battery and hydrogen Rail Professional
