Eco-friendly railways


contributions to a greener society. By developing products which not only provide cost savings but are green, suppliers are standing out in a competitive marketplace.


Of course getting railways to support a sustainability project which provides an immediate cost-benefit is much easier than investing simply to be green. Veitch says that this is now the greatest challenge the UIC faces in encouraging sustainability. He points to the continuing saga of replacing creosote sleepers, and investing in new low-noise brake pad technologies which require substantial investments as areas where railways are not performing as well.


“It is very easy to make the case for


environmental or sustainability measures that save money. Energy efficiency is perhaps the best example of this. However some environmental measures require a cost, and it can be more difficult for railways,” Veitch says. “Brussels can help in Europe by adopting policies and incentives to promote environmental measures. There might be other innovative steps that we can take like encouraging railways to source more of their power from renewables, and to spend the money they are saving through energy efficiency measures to develop these sources for their own use.” Legislation already providing these benefits includes regulations on emissions from rail vehicles which is prompting suppliers to develop innovations designed specifically to comply with these standards. The European Union’s stage IIIB emission and the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 standards are the latest to be adopted and both have similar requirements. Under the rules, all engines greater than 130kW manufactured on and after January 1 2011 have


to reduce the levels of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) produced, and regulate emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. Tier 4 standards are a particularly


pressing issue in the United States where diesel traction remains dominant. Railways here are also experimenting with bio-fuels as a means of reducing emissions which is an area that has received only limited attention in Europe. Veitch says that Amtrak participated in a particularly successful study on its Heartland Flyerservice. The bio-diesel blend B20, which is 20% pure bio-fuel and 80% diesel, was used and produced no more wear on the locomotive than traditional fuels while operating below the US EPA limits for this GE P32-8 locomotive.


Rio+20


The Rio+ 20 conference held earlier this year was expected to produce groundbreaking legislation that would have reinforced this push for sustainability and shape the future of transport policy for countries in the United Nations (UN). Unfortunately Veitch says that the language of the document eventually adopted at the conference was very generic with no specific commitments outlined. He says that this was particularly disappointing but that the UIC remains committed to engaging in similar events in the future. “A lot of work went into it and while


it is frustrating, it is important not to be too cynical,” he says. “We must stay engaged with it so when the opportunity comes we can make the case for rail. If we don’t do it, and do not make our presence felt at these events it is very hard to get back in because we will lose the connections. Other people will be there because it is so competitive between the different


modes of transport.” One concrete commitment that did


emerge from the conference which could have a far-reaching effect on future rail projects in developing countries was the pledge by the world’s eight largest development banks to provide $US 175bn towards sustainable transport projects over the next 10 years. On announcing the plans in Rio,


representatives from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank said that the transport sector is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions due to past emphasis on road projects in urban planning. By improving public transport, they said hundreds of thousands of lives might be saved, the quality of air improved, and congestion eased. The pledge is a shift from the banks’ traditional support for road and is expected to result in city governments and the private sector leveraging 10-20 times more money towards rail, bus and cycle lane projects. Mr Marc Juhel, sector manager for transport at the World Bank, is expected to announce further details of the commitment in Venice this month. For Veitch such a substantial outlay on sustainable transport projects is a very encouraging sign for the future and indicates just how far the world has come. “Without Rio this wouldn’t have happened,” he says. And while there remains a lot more to be done, he believes that people are finally buying into the idea of sustainability which will only benefit the environment, the public and rail technology. “Ten years ago there were only 25 people meeting to discuss this issue,” Veitch says. “They were a lone voice in a massive organisation. Ten years on there is huge support and the fact that it is being discussed in the mainstream at places like the UN is very encouraging for the future.” IRJ


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