The Government is making insufficient progress on its key UK rail decarbonisation commitments, according to the Railway Industry Association (RIA).
In a detailed analysis of the Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) which outlined how the department was going to achieve net zero by 2050, the RIA has highlighted certain areas where the targets have not been met, two years on from the initial publication.
The report found that of 45 commitments made across six different methods of transport, four were rated red, 12 amber and 29 green.
The report also highlighted where there was significantly less progress when it came to decarbonising the rail sector. Within the TDP, there was initially eight commitments that were rail related. In the analysis by RIA, each commitment has been rated as red (commitments not met), amber (commitment partially met) or green (commitment met) with three rail related commitments rated red, five marked as amber and none rated green.
The audit is part of RIA’s RailDecarb23 campaign, which was launched earlier this year. The campaign urges the Government to accelerate plans for rail decarbonisation, through a rolling programme of electrification, investment in new traction methods like hydrogen and battery and bringing together Government, rail clients and suppliers to seek ways to reduce carbon when building the railway network.
Commenting, RIA’s chief executive, Darren Caplan, said: “The Railway Industry Association’s analysis of the Government’s ‘Transport Decarbonisation Plan’ published exactly two years reveals a concerning picture when it comes to rail decarbonisation. All the TDP commitments – which RIA welcomed when they were published nearly two years ago – need to be achieved if the Government is to hit Net Zero transport by 2050.
“The fact that the rate of rail decarbonisation lags behind other methods of transport by some distance jeopardises the whole decarbonisation plan.
“This report will of course be of particular concern to the rail supply chain. The industry needs certainty and clarity on the commitments required to achieve Net Zero, in order to invest in the green technologies required and cut carbon emissions; at present, there seems to be neither.
“Alongside the environmental impact, this lack of progress means rail passengers will also not be able to benefit from the more efficient and modernised rail services that come with decarbonisation.”
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