In mid-March, the Department for Transport issued a consultation on its pithily titled ‘draft national networks national policy statement’. This sets out policies for developing infrastructure projects for English road and rail networks, and the need for strategic rail freight interchanges.
Given that the transport sector accounts for over a quarter of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, CCLA’s response emphasises the importance of decarbonisation measures for the UK to meet its commitments under the Paris agreement and implement real-world emission reductions.
The UK’s Climate Change Committee identified that the surface transport sector needs to reduce emissions by around 45% by 2030 relative to 1990. However, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, no reductions had been achieved at all, making it imperative for more decisive action to be taken.
Network Rail has a target to electrify 448km of track a year but has not come close to reaching that target once in the last decade. In 2022, only 2.2km of track was electrified, less than 1% of the annual target to decarbonise the rail network by 2050.1 Given that less than half of the UK rail network is electrified and progress to electrify is virtually at a standstill, CCLA strongly recommends a greater focus on increasing the electrification of rail lines.
England and Wales have committed to phasing out diesel-only trains by 2040. Any policy measures to enable an earlier phase-out are strongly encouraged. This could include looking at the approach taken in Scotland where high carbon emitting high speed trains will be replaced with zero-emission alternatives by 2030 and all diesel trains phased out of service by 2035.
CCLA supports the strategy to increase rail freight and commends the government's support for rail freight interchanges and their role in unlocking the benefits of rail freight. We also recommend including commitments that prioritise network electrification around strategic rail freight interchanges, and for providing appropriate charging facilities for road vehicles and anticipating charging needs for heavy goods vehicles.
For the road network, we recommend considering traffic reduction targets and modal shift targets for public transport. In Wales, recent policy changes have meant that from 2023, road building projects will only be successful in being funded if it is considered they will help people shift from travelling by car to travelling by public transport, by foot or bicycle.2 Scotland has also set targets for reductions in car use and is promoting sustainable transportation alternatives.
CCLA's consultation response aligns with our commitment to push for better regulation, which is essential to transition to a decarbonised economy. By advocating for focused policy measures, including increased electrification of rail lines, phase out of high-carbon emitting trains and targets for modal shift and traffic reduction, we strive to contribute to a greener, more sustainable future for the UK's transport sector and beyond.