22.05.20
Greater Anglia appoints environment and energy manager
Rail operator, Greater Anglia, has appointed a new Environment and Energy Manager to support its sustainability goals and raise awareness of environmental issues within the railway.
Before taking on her new role, Stephanie Evans worked for two universities and a facilities management firm, holding environment management roles in all.
Stephanie said:
“I am very pleased to be joining Greater Anglia at such an important time. Sustainability, climate change and protecting the environment are more important than ever before and I am looking forward to building on the great work which is already underway at stations, depots, offices and on trains.
“I want to increase awareness of all environment issues and make sure all staff are aware of how they can play their part. We already recycle a great deal of waste, but I hope to look at new ideas such as recycling food waste, and how we can really all make a difference. The environment is at the heart of everything we do.”
As the UK works towards ambitions of net-zero carbon by 2050, the railways play a vital role in taking cars off the road and promoting shared travel, as well as making fleets greener and more sustainable.
Greater Anglia is in the process of introducing an entire fleet of new trains, featuring regenerative braking - restoring energy made from braking back into the electricity grid- helping to save energy on trains that are longer and with more seats.
New bi-mode trains, running on the rural lines across the network, have the ability to run on diesel or electric, reducing emissions and fuel consumption through greener options.
The new Class 720 electric commuter trains, which serve lines between London Liverpool Street and Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire are not only powered by electricity but are 40% lighter than previous trains and include regenerative braking.
Matt Wakefield, Greater Anglia’s Head of Safety, Security and Sustainability, said:
“We’re thrilled to welcome Steph on board at such an exciting time. We are in the process of replacing every single train in our fleet with a brand new one. Travelling by train can take thousands of cars off the roads and the new trains are better for the environment and save energy.
“We care about the environment, and we are delivering a number of projects to improve our energy-efficiency and operate in a more sustainable manner - from installing LED lighting, to providing free water fountains at some stations, to providing free electric car charging points.”
Main Image: Electric Commuter trains - Greater Anglia
Story image: Stephanie Evans