Action needed, not just words
READERS will have struggled not to have seen and heard recently the many reports from around the world of various weather-related natural disasters – from heavy rains and floods in Northern Europe, to extreme forest fires in California and Australia, and many other devastating events elsewhere. Most people would agree that climate change is driving the frequency of these events, and the general scientific consensus is that it is mostly man-made climate change caused by burning fossil fuels.
It feels there is a growing recognition of mankind’s role now, with many industrialised countries committing to some kind of a change. Our own UK Government has set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions in 2030 by at least 68% from 1990 levels, and by 78% in 2035 on our way to achieving net zero by 2050.
When it comes to transport, rail has a massive part to play in reducing carbon emissions. Commuting and longer-distance passenger travel can reduce car and airline use, both of which are significantly more polluting than rail, while one freight train can replace multiple lorries on our road network.
However, for rail to play its maximum role in reducing carbon emissions, it needs support from the top down – and that means the Government must follow through on its words with action.
As this issue closed for press, there was a strong indication that the eastern leg of HS2 north of Birmingham to Leeds would be shelved for the foreseeable future and effectively cancelled. This would be a massive blow not only for Leeds, but for the East Midlands, the North East, and Scotland. HS2 will shave off more than an hour from current London to Leeds journey times, and bring London well under four hours from Edinburgh – enough to compete better with airlines on timings when you factor in getting to and from the airports and city centres.
The first phase of HS2 under construction to Birmingham is still almost a decade away from opening, but there is much that could be done in the meantime, and fares are an obvious way to attract or deter potential passengers. Eye-watering increases are not going to get passengers back on seats, and ultimately now – with the previous franchises system replaced by operating contracts – it is for the Government to determine if it wants to get people out of cars and onto trains, or keep moving fresh air around. The answer is surely obvious, a ‘winwin’ all round, but a possible 4.8% rise in fares (see Headline news) will not help achieve this.
Other emissions-lowering initiatives – such as the proposed Tees Valley trial of hydrogenpowered multiple units (page 6) – have also been talked about, but so far not been acted on
The buck stops at the top, so if the ambitious carbon targets are to be met, it is time to act – on investment, on fares, and on the use of alternative fuels.