Rail franchise performance meeting minutes - 6 May 2021
Attendees
- Allan Anderson (AA) Transport Scotland
- Katie Sutton (KS) Transport Scotland
- Lawrence Southern (LS) Transport Scotland
- Mark Henderson (MH) Transport Scotland
- Oi Hang Chu (OHC) Transport Scotland
- Hsham Rashid (HR) Transport Scotland
- Chris Clark (CC) Transport Scotland
- Nicola Dawson (ND) ScotRail
- Sam Price (SP) ScotRail
- Damian Keaveny (DK) ScotRail
- Phil Dargue (PD) Winder Phillips
Apologies
- Hilary Cameron (HC) Transport Scotland
- Scott Prentice (ScP) ScotRail
- Sarah O’Loughlin (SO) Transport Scotland
Welcome and Introductions
AA welcomed all attendees to the meeting.
Minutes of Last Meeting - 1 April 2021
Minutes from last meeting all agreed and taken as read by both TS/SR.
Actions from Previous Meeting - 1 April 2021
Actions discussed and agreed by TS/SR.
In Depth Discussion - What action is ScotRail taking in supporting Carbon reduction and Decarbonisation?
Governance - Decarbonisation Policy
DK advises that SR have embedded carbon reduction and decarbonisation into the business, effectively SR have set out their aspirations in the decarbonisation policy and this policy is publicly available and can be accessed via their website. This sets out the vision to operate the UK’s most sustainable low carbon railway and identifies some different aspirations within it as well, this was produced at the end of 2020 will be updated annually. Another way SR embed decarbonisation and carbon reduction is through SR’s ISO 50001 accreditation which drives continual improvement in energy performance. Supporting that, SR have aspirations and requirements including the setting of annual energy reduction targets. SR activities are internally audited and externally accredited every year.
Sustainability Programme Board
DK advises that there is a board set up between SR, Network Rail and TS looking at the plans and aspirations via a number of action plans and areas to support decarbonisation. There are ten key areas and all have an executive sponsor, could be Network Rail or SR and also managed by a working group with the key focus on carbon reduction and decarbonisation. These groups have been driving the collaborations between all involved and is great to see this move on significantly in the past six months.
Communicating carbon reduction
DK confirms that there is now a “sustainability hub” available on the SR website, this has been live from end of March 2021 and was created alongside the marketing team. This promotes and outlines in simple terms what SR are doing within the different areas, including, decarbonisation.
SR are trying to tie in the graphics from the website to the marketing campaign so that the customers and passengers can see the link between what SR are saying on their website and what they’re seeing on the branding, etc.
SR are engaging with business customers through the Business To Business team. SR recently engaged Barclays bank to promote sustainability, decarbonisation and different areas and this has been very positive due to the good engagement with those customers.
DK is working with marketing team and there will be new branding, including one focussed on environment. One of the key areas where SR promote what they do is in their Sustainability Report. This is an informative report as it outlines SR activities on reducing carbon and decarbonisation amongst other areas.
Another way SR will promote decarbonisation is by putting Decals on all of the SR EMU fleet. Going forward before the planned COP 26 event in November, everyone should start to see this branding appearing on the EMU fleet which promotes zero carbon travel and a different branding related to that. DK pleased about this as it means passengers get to see what is happening on Scotland’s Railway.
Traction Energy - Impact on Carbon Footprint
Traction is the biggest user of their impact on carbon, there has been a number of activities since the start of the Franchise. The positives are: electrification, the introduction of the C385’s (saves 10,000 tonnes annually). DAS is another positive and working well in all fleets apart from the C385’s and Hitachi are working through this.
The timetable reductions have had an impact on reducing carbon recently.
Roll out of fuel additives has been positive and should be starting in the next week or so and is projected to see a 3% reduction in diesel usage.
DAS
DK confirms that this is available on all fleets, just finishing off fitment onto the HSTs. SR have the biggest DAS usage across UK rail. SR have done cab runs to assess how much of a saving they have and is showing a significant amount across a number of routes.
SR creating a new system to acquire DAS data (usage and performance), working with IT and devolving accountability to operations team. SR have recently put a paper to SR Executive and made a number of recommendations to drive this.
Fuel Additives
A trial has taken place at the Millbrook test facility and it was showing a 3% saving on diesel which is over 1.3 million litres, there will also be reductions in nitrogen dioxide. SR planning to implement this very shortly.
EC4T Management
DK notes that some of the activity going on is to focus on reviewing the efficiency, billing and opportunities for improvement in the EC4T (Energy Charges for Traction). Teams within SR have created a Power BI report which will help SR monitor and assess fleet efficiency and mileage against projections and also helps analyse journey/non-journey activity, for example, with the timetable change around to circa 60% SR noted a lot more dwell times at stations etc. which has had an impact on efficiency. SR will build on the data and extend this to the DMU fleet.
By getting more analysis and assessment on the EC4T usage it will also identify anomalies, opportunities and will improve efficiency in carbon reduction and decarbonisation data.
Non Traction
In terms of non-traction (energy to power stations and depots). there has been a number of factors which has come in since the start of the Franchise and are both positive and negative. Since the start of the Franchise, the energy demand has increased because SR have new stations, new depots and have had station enhancements.
To counter this SR have engaged with staff on behavioural improvements to reduce energy and have also installed energy saving technology, with a focus on LED lighting. SR have invested over a million pounds on LEDs, installed in over 100 locations with circa 5,000 fittings in total installed. It was noted that SR are now looking at intelligent LED lighting which would give more control than just on and off such as, dimming certain areas when needed.
Non traction decarbonisation study
SR commissioned Mott McDonald in 2020 to conduct a report/assessment into what they could do at their station locations to effectively gain a pathway to de-carbonisation. A key way to do this was to identify the solutions that could be retrofitted to stations, identify innovations and to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and grid energy and to determine a pathway looking at station demand. This study was very positive, SR had a good communication session and presentation day with Network Rail and Transport Scotland.
On the assessments of innovations that could be retrofitted to stations, SR looked at 3 locations which were: Bathgate, Falkirk High and Stirling. These stations were assessed from a technology perspective and what SR could do to make them low carbon or effectively zero carbon.
Next steps
SR have planning work underway to deliver Scotland’s first Net Zero Carbon station. Falkirk High has been identified as the viable location to do this. This would involve: fabric improvements, upgrading to intelligent LED lighting particularly in car parks and also a solar PV carport which SR are looking to install next to the EV charging points. This would offset the demand of the EV charging point and more.
Update/Planned Works
In terms of the non-traction activity, DK notes that the Exhibition Centre station, with COP 26 being planned, has had an upgrade on lighting to the intelligent LED lighting.
DK advises that the upgrade at Haymarket CHP has been completed and the payback is 2.5 years.
SR have also introduced blue LED lighting for suicide prevention and anti-social behaviour, this was introduced at Milliken Park and now looking to introduce this to Bellgrove and this would be funded by the Network Rail’s Performance Improvement Fund.
SR working on some other projects like Bathgate Depot LED lighting upgrades, etc.
Review of EMA Reporting Pack
ND confirms that she has received questions/comments from TS and has been circulated around the business.
No comments from colleagues on call.
Committed Obligations Review
No comments from TS/SR.
Franchise Performance Report - Any Matters Arising
No comments from TS/SR.
Schedule 15.2 – Last 12/13 Months of Franchise
AA notes that the tracker was received and thanks ND. This has been circulated for team awareness.
Issues of the Moment
No comments from TS/SR.
AOB
No comments from TS/SR.