ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability a key issue in TPE and Northern franchise consultations
The government’s ongoing stakeholder consultation for the upcoming TransPennine Express and Northern Rail franchises has revealed the growing importance of sustainability for bidders. David Stevenson reports.
S
ustainability, and more importantly improving sustainability efforts, is to form
a key objective in the upcoming TransPennine Express (TPE) and Northern rail franchises, the Department for Transport (DfT) has stated.
Its stakeholder consultation for the two franchises – both due to begin in February 2016 – runs until 18 August 2014. The Department has revealed that future bidders will be tasked with improvements across a number of social, environmental and sustainability areas.
In particular, the DfT wants to see reductions in carbon emissions, using resources effi ciently, and building skills and capability within the supply chain.
The document says: “The sustainable development of rail is a key focus for us. We strongly support the Rail Industry Sustainable Development Principles – developed in 2009
and included in the 2012 High Level Output Specifi cation – and wish to see them embedded in the Northern and TPE franchises.”
In addition to fi nding ways of helping passengers with their onward journeys as part of the government’s Door to Door initiative, bidders are likely to be asked to set out how they will deal with issues like cutting waste and boosting the amount of the remainder sent for recycling.
Other environmental objectives include improving energy and carbon management performance, especially with regards to both traction energy and non-traction energy; and increasing the focus on reducing water and resource consumption.
The DfT has also stated that it would like to see the adoption of sustainable procurement policies and practices, while also providing
‘demonstrable support for economic growth’. There are also provisions
in place for
encouraging workforce development. In particular, bidders will need to show support in encouraging the equality, diversity, health and wellbeing of their workforce. In addition, they will need to develop skills so that rail has the right people with the right skills for the long term.
In line with the Public Contracts (Social Value) Act 2012, the DfT has stated that for both TPE and Northern it is considering how the franchises “might improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the north of England; and how, in conducting the process of procurement, Rail Executive will act with a view to securing that improvement”.
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rail technology magazine Jun/Jul 14 | 63
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