ScotRail has unveiled plans to make Falkirk High Scotland’s first net zero carbon station.
Falkirk High station has been selected to become Scotland’s first net zero carbon station as part of ScotRail’s plans to help decarbonise Scotland’s Railway by 2035.
Through a decarbonisation study, the train operator set out to find stations which had the scope and activity to become carbon neutral, with Falkirk High – which sits on ScotRail’s flagship route between Edinburgh and Glasgow - being identified as the ideal location.
Financed by its annual Sustainability Innovation Fund, ScotRail plans to achieve the carbon neutral goal at Falkirk High by:
- Installing a large four-bay solar-pv carport.
- Installing smart LED lighting in the car park and walkway.
- Improving the insulation to the station building.
- Offsetting the station’s remaining Co2 emissions.
Scotland’s Railway has already made strides in achieving the industry’s target of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2035, and estimates that it has delivered a 38 per cent overall reduction in carbon emissions since 2014.
Between 2014 and 2019 Scotland’s Railway electrified 325km of the country’s central railway network. This investment supported the introduction of a new £370m fleet of 70 faster, greener, modern electric Class 385 trains which serve Falkirk High station.
These trains are cutting carbon emissions by over 10,000 tonnes a year, which is the equivalent of taking 2,238 cars off the road every year, or planting 5,138,151 trees across the fleet’s expected 30-year lifetime.
And the shift to digital timetables and introduction of mobile ticketing is estimated to save at least 22 tonnes of paper every year, which is the equivalent of three million A4 sheets of paper.
Damian Keaveny, ScotRail Head of Environment, said:
“Rail is already the most sustainable mode of public transport, contributing only one per cent of Scotland’s overall transport carbon emissions, but we need to do more to reduce this to net zero by 2035.
“That’s why we’ve set out plans to create Scotland’s first net zero carbon station at Falkirk High.
“By installing a solar-powered carport to reduce the electricity consumption from our vehicle charging points, smart LED lighting to reduce energy demand in the car park and walkways, improving the station’s energy efficiency, and by taking part in vital offsetting initiatives, we will create a sustainable transport network which will lead to a net zero carbon future.”