Rail Minister Huw Merriman officially launched Rail Day, the first day of Better Transport Week, at King’s Cross Station in London today (Monday 12 June).
Better Transport Week, which is being initiated by sustainable transport charity Campaign for Better Transport, is a week-long celebration of sustainable transport.
Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “It’s great to be waving the flag for rail – one of the greenest forms of transport – and kickstarting Better Transport Week. As a Government, we recognise our railways will be key to unlocking a more sustainable transport network which is why, amongst many initiatives, we’ve electrified more than 1,200 miles of track in the past decade alone.”
Norman Baker from Campaign for Better Transport said: “Rail transports millions of people and millions of tonnes of freight every year.
“As one of the greenest ways to travel, rail plays a vital role in reducing carbon emissions and traffic on our roads, contributing to our economy and connecting communities. We are delighted to be celebrating sustainable transport through the first ever Better Transport Week.
“The sheer number of partners that have pledged support for the week, from central and local government, industry and business, to NGOs and passenger groups, shows just how important and valuable sustainable transport is.”
Seb Gordon, director of communications and engagement at Great British Railways Transition Team, a Better Transport Week official partner, said: “Rail is one of the greenest ways to travel, and has a big role to play in our national decarbonisation journey.
“But for many, it’s difficult or even impossible to get to or from a train station by public transport, walking or cycling. Car dependency is still built into housing and commercial development where it needn’t be, and the bill for that, economically, environmentally and for our health, is huge.”
Network Rail released its Decarbonisation strategy in 2020, in response to the Governments stated desire to hit ‘net zero’ by 2050 with no diesel trains on the rail network across the U.K by 2040. Since then, the U.K has improved the percentage of rail electrification on its network from 37% to just over 46%.
Want to know more about the opportunities to become a key supplier to the UK rail industry? Attend TransCityRail and access an exclusive marketplace of buyers from Network Rail, HS2, Train Operators, Major Contractors, and all other tiers of the supply chain. For more information and to secure your place click here.
