ScotRail has unveiled plans to make Falkirk High Scotland’s first net-zero carbon railway station.

It has been selected to spearhead ScotRail‘s plans to decarbonise Scotland’s railways by 2035.

The train operator commissioned a decarbonisation study to find out which stations had the scope and activity to become carbon neutral.

Falkirk High, which sits on ScotRail’s flagship route between Edinburgh and Glasgow, was identified as the ideal location.

Financed by its annual Sustainability Innovation Fund, ScotRail plans to achieve its carbon neutral goal at Falkirk High by:

• Installing a large four-bay solar-pv carport.
• Installing smart LED lighting in the car park and walkway.
• Improving the station building’s insulation.
• Offsetting the station’s remaining Co2 emissions.

ScotRail has already taken steps to achieve the industry’s target of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2035. Since 2014, it and estimates that it has delivered a 38% overall reduction in carbon emissions.

Between 2014 and 2019, ScotRail electrified 325km of the country’s central railway network.

This investment supported the introduction of a new £370m fleet of 70 faster, greener, modern electric Class 385 trains; these already serve Falkirk High station.

These trains are cutting carbon emissions by over 10,000 tonnes a year, which is the equivalent of taking 2,238 cars off the road every year, or planting 5,138,151 trees across the fleet’s expected 30-year lifetime.

It is estimated that moving to digital timetables and introducing mobile ticketing will save at least 22 tonnes of paper every year, which is the equivalent of three million A4 sheets of paper.

Damian Keaveny, ScotRail Head of Environment, said:

“Rail is already the most sustainable mode of public transport, contributing only one per cent of Scotland’s overall transport carbon emissions, but we need to do more to reduce this to net zero by 2035.

“That’s why we’ve set out plans to create Scotland’s first net zero carbon station at Falkirk High.

“By installing a solar-powered carport to reduce the electricity consumption from our vehicle charging points, smart LED lighting to reduce energy demand in the car park and walkways, improving the station’s energy efficiency, and by taking part in vital offsetting initiatives, we will create a sustainable transport network which will lead to a net zero carbon future.”

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