Scotland’s Railway sets five priority targets for climate action

Network Rail and ScotRail, under the Scotland’s Railway partnership, have published their Climate Action Plan for 2024-2029, setting out what they intend to deliver over the next five years to help address the climate crisis and to be prepared for further action in the future.

The plan is broken down into five priority areas - climate ready, net zero, environmental management, biodiversity and social value – with the overall vision being “to serve Scotland - now and in the future - with a greener, more resilient and responsible railway”.

Each priority area has at least one high-level objective to be achieved throughout the term of the plan, and each area has its own delivery plan with a designated owner, who chairs a working group tasked with that delivery.

The five-year timescale is intended to break down high-level longer-term targets into achievable bite-sized chunks, and to align with the Control Period funding structure.

Among other things, the plan tackles emissions from the road fleet, heating buildings and energy purchases, targeting a 65% reduction by 2029.

Five hundred hectares of land both within and outside the railway boundary will be enhanced through strategic partnerships, with a target to increase biodiversity on railway land by 4%.

Liam Sumpter, managing director, Network Rail Scotland, said: “We’re feeling the impact and the need to adapt to climate change more than ever on Scotland’s Railway. Extreme weather is impacting passengers, freight customers and communities more frequently than ever.

“Everyone in Scotland’s Railway and beyond needs to take action and together I’m confident we can make a difference, while making this the greenest railway Scotland’s ever had.”

Joanne Maguire, ScotRail Managing Director, said: “Our vision is to deliver a safe, sustainable, inclusive, and accessible railway for Scotland.

“Taking climate action is one of our priorities and we’re making great progress through the decarbonisation of the network, identifying ways to eliminate fossil fuel use, increasing energy efficiency, and deploying renewable energy sources in our buildings."

In Scotland, changing weather patterns are already having an impact on the railway, with more frequent disruption caused by heavy rainfall and record-breaking hot days.

The Climate Action Plan incorporates previously published climate adaptation objectives, which will see more than £400m contributed towards the resilience of the network against extreme weather and future changes in climate.

This includes more than £100m on earthworks, £100m on lineside infrastructure including drainage, and more than £40m on structures like bridges and tunnels.

To help keep people moving, climate adaptation plans will be developed for route sections and locations that are identified as being most susceptible to the impacts of future changes in Scotland’s climate.

Scotland’s Railway says it will continue to improve air quality at stations, tunnels, maintenance depots and worksites while also reducing waste and its associated carbon through reusing and recycling more materials.

Biodiversity will be increased through enhancing existing habitats while creating new ones, allowing nature and the railway to exist in harmony.

Scotland’s Railway is aligned to the Scottish Government's target of net zero emissions by 2045. This Climate Action Plan sets out the steps that will be taken over the next five years to remain on course to meet this ambitious milestone.

The Climate Action Plan for 2024-2029 (pdf)