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.
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.
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.
“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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I do like the idea of renewable energy on HS1. Will renewable energy be introduced on HS2 when Phase 1 and Phase 2 is completed.
Michael Ashworth is of course 100% accurate in his comments. To say they are now running on green energy is utter codswallop. This is simply a lie, and they need calling out for this so called woke nonsense!!!
HS2 Ltd should copy HS1 Ltd and devise a plan to power HS2 trains with 100% renewables, this can be a simple as Transport for London issuing PPA’s for renewable power or Riding Sunbeams installing solar and wind farms with possible batteries in Wales. HS2 stations will have solar panels so why not the train line ?
Same could be said with HS2 once Phase 1 and Phase 2 is completed that will see HS2 to provide better faster rail journeys from London to Birmingham, Manchester and the North.
But…isn’t….HS1…electrical…and that makes it…
CARBON-FREE!?
LOL Statements like this one really makes me laugh as unless there electrical power is coming directly to the track from a renewable source then this statement is a lie.
Npower is a reseller of electrical energy and therefore has to buy its electricity from the National Grid which means that the electricity is not 100% green, but is in fact made up of ALL SOURCES of electricity generation, and using the government’s own power generation figures are only 20%-22% carbon free.
So this Statement to be truthful needs to read.
UK FIRST: London to Kent’s HS1 railway line to run electrical energy that is 20% carbon free.