NEWS IN BRIEF

NORTHERN INVESTS £10 MILLION IN TRAINCREW FACILITY UPGRADES

Train operator Northern is investing £10 million to upgrade its facilities for more than a thousand staff across its network. More than £8 million has been spent so far in locations such as Leeds, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road, Blackpool, Workington, Barrow and Buxton. Staff based in Liverpool, Huddersfield, Hull, Carlisle, Wigan, Harrogate, Doncaster and Middlesbrough will now see similar changes including new kitchen facilities, back-office areas and new seating and sofas.

NEW DIGITAL-FIRST SMART GATE IN UK

Transport for Wales are set to become the first train operator outside of London to deliver contactless EMV ticketing in heavy rail when they partner with Vix Technology to launch a new smart gate pilot programme. The pilot programme will launch with the first gate being tested and proof of concept taking place in Newport in Spring 2023. The new gates promise fast installation, flexible passenger zones and opportunities for optimized passenger information. Passenger benefits also include pay-as-you-go travelling using gates and platform validators provided by Vix Technology.

Other recommendations include:

• Introducing a statutory duty on local authorities to take account of the UK's net zero targets and to clarify local roles and responsibility for attaining these;

• Devolving net zero powers to allow a more locally focussed approach to net zero, including establishing at least one "Trailblazer" City, Local Authority and Community with the aim of each reaching net zero by 2030;

• Reform the local planning system and the National Planning Policy Framework as soon as possible, with an intention to move towards a net zero test for all developments; and

• Giving greater clarity and guidance on when local areas can exceed national standards and how they can go further on net zero should they wish to, including using Local Area Energy Planning.

Infrastructure

The Report recognises infrastructure's key role in delivering net zero and the scale and speed that is required, given the length of time taken to deliver infrastructure projects. Specific recognition was given to the need for the electricity network to keep pace with the government's renewable energy ambition.

This included recommending:

• Changing the policy and regulation framework for grid developments to consider needs based on a long-term planning requirement to facilitate anticipated future investments.

• Improving the consent process for expanding energy networks and updating the National Policy Statements for Energy in England and Wales to provide clearer direction.

On net zero carbon energy production the Report recommends setting up taskforces and deployment roadmaps with clear milestones to 2035, including:

Autumn 2023 of how regulation for net zero technologies should be changed to accelerate their introduction.

Other recommendations include:

• Planning for hydrogen to have a ‘vital role in our future energy mix’ and for a ten-year delivery roadmap for scaling up hydrogen production to be developed by the end of 2023.

• Requiring the government to ‘act quickly to re-envisage and implement a clear carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) roadmap showing the plan beyond 2030’, including in terms of cluster selection, progression and funding. The current BEIS work on CCSUs does not look beyond the mid-2020s.

Elizabeth Line Clocks More Than One Hundred Million Passenger Journeys

More customers than expected have taken advantage of capital's newest transport link since opening in May 2022. The Elizabeth line has now seen more than one hundred million journeys since opening in May 2022. Transport for London (TfL) data also reveals that ridership on the line is currently above expected levels with around 600,000 journeys made each day, meaning the railway is one of the busiest in the UK and is on track to break even by the end of the 2023/24 financial year. The data clearly shows the popularity of the capital's newest transport option and the benefit of investing in transport in London.

• Deployment of sufficient solar panels to achieve up to 70GW of generation by 2035, including a "rooftop revolution" to remove the requirement for planning permission to install solar panels on the rooftops of domestic and commercial buildings. Certain restrictions on groundbased panels would remain; and

• Encouragement of greater onshore wind provision where local communities are willing. The planning process in England and Wales should be streamlined and provide clear guidance to support decision making and to set out a framework for assessing community benefits.

For emerging technologies, the Report is clear that a plan is needed for industry decarbonisation and long-term investment. It emphasises the role of long-term storage. multi-purpose interconnectors and carbon capture to create more supply side flexibility. It further proposes a review by

Our ever-changing government

While the Report draws together various ongoing workstreams of government, there is a risk that it may not fully match the priorities of the current Government. However, as all major political parties have made commitments to achieving net zero, the Report's outputs are likely to feature in action taken by most government departments.

The Report also serves as a useful summary of where the multifaceted emerging business models and policy frameworks for emerging technologies such as hydrogen and CCUS stand. With an election on the horizon, the Government may consider whether it can achieve any of the quick wins set out in the Report, such as introducing some of the proposed changes to the planning system to support new zero activities in the Levellingup and Regeneration Bill. As the rail industry plans its next set of projects, net zero will need to be a clear consideration. Interesting times lie ahead!

Bastien Gerard is Group Business Development Director for Consumables and Jamie Fata is Welding Alloys Railways Services Expert