UK FIRST: London to Kent's HS1 railway line to run entirely on renewable energy

UK FIRST: London to Kent’s HS1 railway line to run entirely on renewable energy

High Speed 1, which links London with Kent and the Channel Tunnel, is progressing to be the first railway in the UK to be run using renewable energy.

Wind and Solar will be the main part of the process to make sure it is the only (currently) high-speed railway in the country runs only on sustainable energy.

The operator has secured Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificates from its supplier, nPower.

Southeastern High Speed 'Javelin' — Credit: Langton Photography

This will enable them to report zero-carbon emissions for the electricity used to power trains and stations.

HS1 Ltd is also working with Eurostar and Southeastern High Speed to reduce its carbon footprint for each passenger by 25%.

HS1 already removed the same as 60,000 short flights each year, or 750,000 tonnes of CO2e.

London St Pancras with Javelins and Eurostar — Credit: Charlie Greasley

Passenger and freight services using HS1 already remove 6,000 lorries and cars from the road each year, with nearly 4 million people switching to HS1, leaving cars and planes behind.

Dyan Crowther, CEO of HS1 Ltd, said: “HS1 is the Green Gateway to Europe. The UK’s only high-speed railway already delivers phenomenal environmental benefits to the UK and beyond. We are helping consumers reduce their carbon footprint while still enjoying safe, fast and reliable travel at home and abroad.

“As we recover from the Covid crisis, environmental challenges will move further up the political and public agenda, and HS1 can provide a lasting solution to sustainable travel.”

Rail Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, said: “We are absolutely committed to driving forward a greener, cleaner and more efficient railway, and it is fantastic to see HS1 making such significant strides towards decarbonising their network.

Southeastern High Speed 'Javelins' — Credit: Charlie Greasley

“Offering passengers more sustainable, greener forms of transport is crucial to achieving our bold and ambitious vision for a net zero carbon transport system by 2050.”

The sustainability report can be found by clicking here: https://highspeed1.co.uk/about-us/sustainability

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