Hitachi Rail has realised an incredible world first with its 100% electric HS2 fleet by achieving the globally recognised leading environmental standards for design and manufacture, the PAS 2080 carbon reduction standard.

The achieved standard covers the fleet’s design, manufacture and operation.

The standard was awarded to Hitachi Rail following the British Institute of Standards’ full verification of its whole-life carbon analysis of the fleet, including assessment of carbon management or reduction during design, procurement, manufacture and in operation.

The rigorous analysis revealed that the train’s CO2 emissions per passenger onboard would be a massive 90% lower than that of someone undertaking the same journey in either a car or plane, which could drop further once the electricity grid in the UK becomes decarbonised.

The PAS2080 achievement revealed particular strengths, including:

• Lowering energy usage during operation achieved through improvements in aerodynamics of the car body and bogies supporting power supply and air conditioning system efficiencies
• Dropping the weight of the trains, including the car body, bogies and wheel-sets and cabling both internal and external.
• Using more recycled and recyclable materials for the majority of components.

Luca D’Aquila, Chief Operating Officer, Hitachi Rail Group,said: “HS2 trains have gone through a design process of unparalleled rigour – becoming more aerodynamic, more energy-efficient, lighter, leaner, and greener.”

“The PAS 2080 accreditation is recognition of our dedicated approach, and it is an approach that we will continue to roll out on projects around the world as part of our commitment to be a climate change innovator.”

Hitachi Rail will take the valuable lessons learned from the compliance involved in PAS 2080 into future rolling stock projects, raising its global standards further.

COP26 will also see the Hitachi Group reveal new targets regarding achieving a carbon-neutral status by 2050 through its entire chain and through its business sites as soon as 2030, with the following aims already underway:

• Create a modal shift to greener public transport using very-high-speed services such as the ETR1000
• Decarbonisation of public transport using battery and hybrid solutions such as the Masaccio train
• Lowering emissions in its own value chain such as an agreement recently signed to manufacture 60% of its Italian business’ energy requirements through the installation of solar panels at its sites.