A large percentage of the UK’s pre-1990 train fleet is on borrowed time, according to an industry update that says determined and co-ordinated action is needed now to achieve net zero.
The Rail Safety & Standards Board (RSSB) report is calling on the Government to come clean over the next two years on its intentions for the rail industry, if it is to meet its commitment to be completely emission-free by 2050.
Its new Sustainable Rail Blueprint document, financed by the Department for Transport, is demanding solid directives from the DfT on rail passenger and freight growth.
Linked to this is the increased use of trains that operate on alternative power sources such as hydrogen and battery.
RSSB says there is a great need to step this up over the next seven years, to give clear evidence by 2030 that serious reductions in emissions are beginning to happen. This will come with new train fleets in service, new fuels being available for existing diesel units, and more efficient management of the service timetable.
The RSSB document, published on November 14, comments that while our railways are generally well-behaved, its diesel multiple units emit harmful pollutants (as much as 20% in some urban areas).
In the short term, it says that this can eased by retrofitting anti-pollution devices, reducing idling at stations and in depots, and more skilful timetabling.
Maintenance centres should avoid using back-up diesel generators and gas boilers, and polluting on-track plant and road vehicles, and install better ventilation and heating systems.
ScotRail is first off the mark with the conversion or replacement of around 600 diesel units that are the mainstay of secondary routes, by declaring they will be gone by 2035 (five years ahead of the rest of the UK). This is partly because it continues to make progress with suburban electrification.
RSSB is also co-ordinating action across train operators, infrastructure managers, rolling stock owners, the supply chain, and regulators. It recognises that much of the required action is outside the industry’s direct control, and that it will be a steep hill to climb with 90% of it needing to be in place within 20 years.
