R A I LT R AC K - The Railways Archive

sustaining
We are determined to
seize this opportunity
to improve the quality
of life for travellers
and non-travellers in
the UK
44
4.8
4.8 Environment
Environmental vision
This NMS is the first in a new era for the railways.It is an
opportunity for us to explain how we will take forward the
exciting new challenges of the White Paper A New Deal for
Transport:Better for Everyon e which describes ‘the potential
for a railway renaissance’.The NMS maps out investments
which will be crucial to delivery of sustainable mobility in
GB.We are determined to seize this opportunity to improve
the quality of life for tr avellers,and non-travellers,in the UK.
Achieving a sustainable transport network presents a
serious challenge. In 1998,the Royal Commission on
Environmental Pollution reported that,in the 1980s alone, an
area of 10,500 hectares,equivalent to the size of Bristol,was
taken for road-building and parking.Furthermore, the
Government has published figures which show that up to
24,000 vulnerable people are estimated to die prematurely
each year because of exposure to air pollution, much of
which is due to road traffic.This is in addition to the 120
deaths and injuries which occurred every day in accidents on
UK roads in 1997.These figures are unsustainable. In
contrast,the railways offer efficient transport at much lower
environmental and social cost.
For example, freight tonne-kilometres have increased by
30% in the past two ye a rs and passenger kilometres on ra i l
h ave increased by 15% over the same peri o d . Had these
increases been on the road netwo rk , this growth would have
resulted in the emission of an extra 1.5M tonnes of carbon
d i ox i d e. If other impacts, including reductions in air pollution,
a c c i d e n t s , congestion and noise are calculated using standard
unit values, the benefit delivered by the ra i lw ays relative to
the roads, for this passenger and freight growth alone, w a s
a p p r ox i m a t e ly £470M. F u rt h e rm o r e, we have estimated that,
by 2011, g r owth of passenger and freight tra f fic could be
wo rth £4.6bn annu a l ly in social and environmental benefi t s .
Given that demand for transport in the UK is growing
rapidly, and that the UK’s fastest-growing contributor to
climate change is through carbon dioxide emissions,the
savings achievable through a modal shift from road to rail will
be key to the Government achieving its objectives for
environmental protection.The Government has described
traffic growth as ‘the greatest global threat facing the
international community’.The rail network can provide a
major part of the solution to these environmental problems.
At the Rail Summit on 25 February 1999, John Prescott said,
‘I believe most of the industry shares my vision for a modern
railway . . . playing its part in an integrated transport system
and contributing to a sustainable society’.
The opportunity for the rail industry is tremendous.For
example, while more than 80% of domestic freight currently
travels by road, we now have support from a government
which wants to see a real increase in freight movement by
rail.Our investment plans have been geared to deliver
environmental benefits.The Deputy Prime Minister has been
actively looking for companies prepared to join the
Government in shaping ‘a new future for sustainable
transport’. We have taken up that challenge.
The Government has backed these demands with firm
financial commitments.It will boost the take-up of freight
grants,and put more money into support for new
investment proposals that produce wider benefits for both
integration of the transport network and shifting traffic from
road to rail.The Shadow Strategic Rail Authority will also be
a key player. It is likely to have a responsibility to oversee
rail’s contribution to sustainable development objectives.
We are fostering a more productive relationship with
the Environment Agency, by seeking the Agency’s advice to
help us prevent adverse environmental impacts.Last year, we
signed the first-ever memorandum of understanding with the
Environment Agency, putting our relationship on a clear and
open footing.
We now look forward to constru c t i ve regulatory support
at the highest leve l .In return , we can offer commitments and
action in six areas which are outlined below.