Eurostar sets 25% emissions reduction target

Eurostar, unveiling plans to make high-speed rail an even greener option for short-haul travel in northern Europe, wants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25% by 2012.

The company attracted 14% more business passengers in the first quarter of 2007 while the number of leisure travellers buying connecting tickets for onward journeys to the south of France was up by 39% year-on-year.

Ticket sales reached £142 million in the three month – an increase of 13.2% against the same period in 2006. The total number of travellers during the quarter was up 5.4% to 1.79 million.

Eurostar claims the CO2 impact of a Eurostar rail journey between London and Paris or Brussels is already at least 10 times less than the equivalent journey by plane. 

CO2 emissions per traveller journey are to be further cut by reducing the power consumption on rolling stock, making better use of train capacity, and sourcing more electricity from lower emission generators.

Chief executive Richard Brown said: “We don’t have all the answers but we do know that a high-speed rail journey is 10 times greener than flying – and that Eurostar can be greener still.

“People want to minimise their carbon footprint on the environment, and our aim is to help passengers tread lightly when they travel.

“It is time for the transport industry to do more to tackle climate change, instead of claiming that it makes a minimal contribution to global warming, or simply blaming other industry sectors.

“Over the next five to 10 years, everyone will be seeking to change how they travel. Making greener journeys on High Speed 1, connecting with other high-speed rail services across Europe, will be a vital part of the solution.”

Richard Brown said: “We are genuinely surprised and pleased at these big rises in both business travel and connecting leisure journeys. The increases are strong evidence that environmentally aware travellers are already voting with their feet.”

In addition to the CO2 reduction target, a ‘Tread Lightly Initiative’ includes a 10-point plan to minimise the environmental impact of Eurostar operations by cutting the consumption of raw materials, sourcing responsibly and recycling more waste.

Eurostar also claims it will become the world’s first rail service to go ‘carbon neutral’ from November 14, when journey times are trimmed by 23-25 minutes from its new central London terminal at St Pancras International. 

The company admits it cannot eliminate CO2 emissions but will invest in offsetting schemes as a “last resort” to ensure that every traveller’s journey is carbon neutral.

Eurostar will work with numerous environmental organisations to deliver transparent, effective and appropriate offsetting schemes, the company said.

Brown added: “Unlike other transport operators, who ask passengers to volunteer to offset CO2 emissions at their own expense, we will bear the cost of making every journey carbon neutral – we will not charge a penny extra.” 

Eurostar aims to achieve a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger journey by 2012 by:

*Installing energy meters on trains to help drivers drive as economically as possible

*Fitting new controls for train lighting, heating and air-conditioning to reduce power consumption

*Working with suppliers, particularly Eurotunnel and Network Rail, to source cleaner electricity supplies

*Making even better use of train capacity

*Designing energy efficiency into the mid-life re-engineering of the train fleet

by Phil Davies