London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has confirmed that they are testing a clever green way to naturally purify air at its Newcastle Central Station.

Teaming up with Green City Solutions, a German firm that specialises in integrating nature with digital technology, LNER has installed the ‘CityTree’ on one of the platforms at their Newcastle Central Station.

Standing at three metres high, several species of moss are contained inside the ‘CityTree’. As air passes through, the moss removes dust and digests it, outputting clean air at 3,500 m³ of air each hour. To put this into perspective, this translates into the breathing volume of 7,000 people!

The project has been supported by LNER’s FutureLabs programme, promoting the latest innovations for use in the rail industry.

CityTree is on a 12-week trial and test period at Newcastle Central Station, where data and information can be collected.

Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at LNER Danny Gonzalez said: “We’re excited that Newcastle Central Station is the first in the world where customers can enjoy a breath of fresh air from a CityTree, as it shows how new technology can be accelerated to have a positive impact on the environment in and around railway stations

“Drawing upon the natural benefits of living moss and combining it with the latest tech developments, we look forward to seeing the impact that the CityTree has on the station environment. It is a great example of the innovative approach we are taking at LNER, to help us achieve our ambitious sustainability goals.

“The improvement of air quality is hugely important to LNER and we are pleased that we have already been able to significantly reduce our direct carbon emissions as a result of the introduction of our Azuma trains, saving nine million litres of diesel in 2019/20 compared to the previous year.”

Co-founder and CEO of Green City Solutions Peter Sänger said: “Our mission is to find a solution for inner-city spaces so that as many people as possible can breathe clean air. It has been great to get this opportunity to share the CityTree with the people of Newcastle and create a pleasant zone for them to enjoy the noticeably fresher and cooler air”.

Further information about the CityTree can be found at: https://www.lner.co.uk/about-us/responsible-business/green-city-tree/

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