Friday 30 September 2022

South Western Railway on track to net zero by 2040

South Western Railway (SWR) has launched a plan to become net zero by 2040.

Its roadmap has been supported by the Department for Transport – and includes retrofitting buildings, switching to renewable fuels for its trains instead of diesel, implementing more electric vehicles and using LED lighting.

The company has revealed that half its emissions come from its supply chain, with 45% coming from operating its trains and 3% from its buildings.

SWR has stated that the success of its plan is dependent on government funding, the electrification of the rail network and ensuring its supply chain adhere to greener standards.

Its first step has been to switch to LED lighting, which it claims has already seen a 21% reduction in its property energy consumption.

Head of Sustainability Amy Dickinson said: “We are leading the way as the first train operating company to publish a robust, transparent, and cost-effective roadmap to net zero by 2040, 10 years ahead of the UK’s overall 2050 legal deadline.

“We want to work holistically on sustainable transport links to and from our stations, trialling new technology and utilising opportunities to create hundreds of green jobs across our network, ensuring our customers can travel in an increasingly green and sustainable way.”