London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has unveiled a wall of plants at Edinburgh Waverley station to promote rail as the most sustainable mode of motorised transport.

The display is the size of a billboard and shaped to represent one of LNER’s Azuma trains.

Known as the “Azuma Living Wall”, it will be on display throughout COP26, and was created to encourage more people to consider travelling by rail.

The wall was planted in Scotland and represents LNER’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, ranging from LNER’s new fleet of Azuma trains to the way in which the company processes its waste and reduce water usage.

It is estimated that if just half of domestic leisure journeys each year switch to rail, about 331kg of carbon emissions would be saved per person. Rail travel is the most eco-friendly mode of motorised transport, exemplified by LNER’s Azuma fleet which runs on electricity on many routes, including between Edinburgh and London. LNER is calling on customers to join them in reducing carbon emissions by pledging to take more journeys by rail.

The Azuma Living Wall was developed in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which has a mission to promote biodiversity and green tourism in the city of Edinburgh. A number of plant box units made of recycled materials and fully recyclable were used to form the wall’s structure. These were developed by Biotecture, a leader in sustainable living wall systems.

Overall, the installation measures 6m wide by 2.5m tall and weighs 1000kg, and was built by GP Plantscape, a local supplier from Lanarkshire, who specialise in cultivating and building plant displays. To create the wall, over 600 individual plants from six species were planted in a design that resembles an LNER Azuma train.

The wall will be on display at Edinburgh Waverley until 12th November, visitors to the installation will also be able to take home some Scottish wildflower seeds from Arbroath to grow in their own gardens at home.

LNER’s Azuma fleet was introduced in 2019 and runs on electricity between London and Edinburgh along the East Coast Main Line. Azuma trains also serve other LNER destinations in Scotland, including Glasgow, Inverness, and Aberdeen.

Azumas are bi-mode, which allow them to switch between overhead electric lines and diesel mode where needed. In the first two years of the fleet’s introduction, it is estimated that over 26.5 million litres of fuel have been saved as a result of the Azumas’ bi-mode capabilities.

David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “Adopting greener travel habits is something all of us can strive towards, and the Azuma Living Wall is an eye-catching visual representation of how the train is one of the most sustainable ways to travel, especially compared to cars and planes.

“As normality resumes, travel increases and carbon emissions inevitably rise, we hope to inspire people across the nation to consider taking the train to reduce their carbon footprint, and collectively we can make a real difference.”

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s Director of Enterprise and Communication, Kari Coghill, said: “LNER’s Living Wall project helps to highlight the world of plants at a time when we all need to play our part to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

“We are delighted to be a partner in this project, promoting sustainable travel and green tourism. At our four Gardens – Edinburgh, Dawyck, Logan and Benmore – we offer visitors the chance to discover more about caring for nature and the environment but also to enjoy the health benefits of being in green space, long known for its healing properties. Together, we have the opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of people and the planet.”

Emma Brigginshaw, Environment Manager at LNER, said: “At LNER we are committed to building a more sustainable business from our new Azuma fleet of trains with their bi-mode capabilities to the way in which we process our waste and reduce water usage.

“We’re passionate about securing a greener future for our colleagues, customers and communities, and the Azuma Living Wall is a representation of our ongoing commitment to reducing, reusing and recycling.”

After the 12th November, the Azuma Living Wall will be dismantled into sections and the plants will be donated to local schools in the area to help inspire the next generation about supporting the environment.

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