ECA backs joint rail electrification statement
On 19 February 2020, representative bodies covering businesses, passengers, freight, and community groups published an open letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, calling for him to kick-start an ambitious rolling programme of rail electrification, if the Government wants to deliver on its aim of decarbonising UK rail by 2040.
The representative bodies, which represent thousands of businesses and organisations, have urged the Government to end the ‘stop-start’ nature of past electrification schemes and to introduce a ring-fenced rolling programme fund that allows the rail industry to extend electrified track over several years. They have called on the Government to act before current electrification schemes, including in the Midlands and Wales, are completed after which – without other schemes to move on to – many skills and expertise will be lost.
Darren Shirley, Chief Executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “The scale and pace of rail electrification must increase if legally binding carbon emission targets are to be met and air quality improved in towns and cities. Rail is currently the greenest major form of transport, but will cede that leading position undoing wider efforts to reduce carbon emissions unless the Government commits to a rolling programme of electrification. The Government should introduce a ring-fenced fund in the upcoming Budget with a longer-term settlement in the Spending Review so that communities can reap the benefits of cleaner train services."
Alasdair Reisner, Chief executive at CECA, said: “It is essential that the UK moves swiftly to meet its carbon reduction commitments. Our transport network provides one of the biggest areas of opportunity in this regard, and rail electrification is an essential part of this.”
Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) Energy Advisor Luke Osborne said: “The UK’s railway system, particularly in the North, is in desperate need of investment and decarbonisation to bring it into the 21st Century. Electrification of the railways is fundamental to getting zero carbon done.”
For more information see: https://www.eca.co.uk/news-and-events/news/2020/feb/eca-backs-joint-rail-electrification-statement
--ECA
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Construction sidings
- Crossrail 2.
- ECA articles.
- ECA calls for petrol and diesel ban by 2030.
- Electric vehicle.
- Electrical Contractors Association.
- England's Railway Heritage from the Air.
- High Speed 2 (HS2).
- Hyperloop.
- Learning lessons from HS2.
- Modern train stations.
- Railway.
- The longest railway tunnels in the world.
- Transport design and health
Featured articles and news
Apprenticeship announcement by the Prime Minister
Welcomed but with call for more actionable detail.
Heat pump announcements, what homeowners need to know
An 'ultimate guide to heat pumps' from a heating company.
Construction contract awards reach £7.1bn in February
Their highest level in seven months.
The journey to sustainability in heritage
Research is the key to better understanding.
Heritage approaches to adaptation, mitigation and loss.
Bridging the gap between policy, finance and installation.
Development on brownfield land
Definition, background, policy and the latest consultation.
With the Design Framework for Building Services.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Pertinent technical issues, measures and the roles involved.
ECA joins HSE campaign to support mental health
Working Minds’ five simple steps based on risk assessment.
Mental health in the construction industry
Mental health issues in brief with related articles.
Transitional arrangements, Building Control and the BSR.
For pre-October buildings with substantial progress by April.
Why quality counts in domestic ventilation systems
From products, to systems to the installation.
Empowering the Future with CIOB Academy
Lifelong learning, upscaling, and reskilling for the built environment.