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The RSSB Rail Carbon Tool
Lauren Brown
Sustainable Development Specialist
Agenda
Who are RSSB?
What is the Rail Carbon Tool?
Why is it used?
How has the tool been used?
Who are RSSB?
Established in April 2003 as a result of the public inquiry into the Ladbroke Grove accident.
We support our members from across the industry in continuously improving health, safety and sustainability. Our members include:
The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) are an expert body, encompassing the whole rail industry
Sustainable Development Principles
The RSSB Rail Carbon Tool…
What is the Rail Carbon Tool?
The tool enables organisations to:
• Calculate and analyse the carbon footprint of UK rail projects
• Identify alternative low carbon materials
• Select low carbon solutions
• Meet contractual requirements
Online platform which can be freely used by those in the GB rail sector to measure embodied carbon.
Why is this important for rail?
• Particularly important for rail due to the large number of high carbon infrastructure projects.
• All train operators have franchise requirements to report their embodied carbon for infrastructure projects over £1 million.
Reducing embodied carbon is important for reducing resource use and associated costs
• Network Rail have mandated that from December infrastructure projects with over £1 million spend must use the RSSB Rail Carbon Tool.
How has the tool been utilised…
Midland Metro ExpansionMoved from traditional steel rebar reinforced concrete to plastic fibre reinforced concrete, saving 15% embodied carbon per m3 of concrete
Polymer concrete boxes were specified as an alternative material, reducing embodied carbon of the drainage boxes by 50%
Expansion joints changed from stainless steel to plain steel dowel, reducing embodied carbon of the joint reinforcement by 50%.
Reading Elevated Railway
Design changes reduced the capital carbon footprint of the project by over 26,975 tonnes CO2e, 42.4% of the pre-VE carbon assessment and saving over £9.5 million, representing 12% of the original cost of the project.
Great Western Railway Modernisation
Implemented two design changes which reduced the embodied carbon of electrification works per mile by 20 tCO2e on the project:
• Reduction in the thickness of steel used in the OLE masts from 16mm to 12mm,
• Optimisation of foundation depths to reduce the length of piles required by up to 10%.
How can I access the tool?
Anyone working in the GB rail sector can register to use the tool for free: https://www.railindustrycarbon.com/
Thank you
