RIA responds to ORR report showing electrification leading to a drop in carbon emissions

19 October 2018

The rail regulator Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has published statistics showing that carbon emissions have reduced due to electrification of the UK rail network.

David Clarke, Technical Director of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), said: “Today’s findings from the ORR show the benefits of continued electrification of the rail network for sustainability and the environment. It is clear that electrification must be part of the solution in meeting the Government’s challenge to industry to decarbonise the rail network by 2040, alongside emerging hydrogen and battery technologies. The figures in the report clearly show that in 2017/18 CO2 emissions decreased by 6.6% compared to 2016/17 – so we should be accelerating the take up of electrification.

“The Railway Industry Association’s Electrification Cost Challenge – working with the Government and Network Rail – will show within months how the UK can deliver electrification more cost effectively. We urge all parties to redouble their efforts now, to deliver cost effective electrification in the years ahead.”

Notes to Editors
  1. The ORR release can be found here.
  2. About RIA: The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the representative body for UK-based suppliers to the UK and world-wide railways. We help to grow a sustainable, high-performing, railway supply industry, and to export UK rail expertise and products. We promote and represent our members’ interests to policy makers, clients and other stakeholders in the UK and overseas. RIA has 230+ companies in membership in a sector that contributes £36 billion in economic growth and £11 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 600,000 people—more than the workforce of Birmingham. It is also a growing industry with the number of rail journeys expected to double over the next 25 years and freight set to grow significantly too. RIA’s membership is active across the whole of railway supply, covering a diverse range of products and services and including both multi-national companies and SMEs (60% by number). RIA works to promote the importance of the rail system to UK plc, to help export UK expertise around the globe and to share best practice and innovation across the industry.