This afternoon, I met virtually with representatives from the Railway Industry Association, the trade association for UK-based suppliers to the railway industry.
As part of My Plan for Carshalton & Wallington, I have been working in Parliament and locally to help clean up our local air and reduce emissions.
I met with the RIA to talk about what is being done by the rail industry to help reduce the carbon footprint of rail.
As many residents know, I’ve been campaigning to improve rail and other transport services across Carshalton & Wallington. In normal times, many residents will remember being frustrated by infrequent and often-delated (or cancelled) services to central London – often making commuting a horrible experience.
The RIA informs me that we cannot reach Net Zero carbon emission in the UK without rail, so by improving local rail connections we might also be able to help tackle air pollution.
However, rail currently makes up about 0.6% of all carbon emissions in the UK. This may not be nearly as much as petrol/diesel vehicles but, nevertheless, the RIA is working towards a net zero rail industry with their decarbonisation strategy.
I will continue working with the RIA and other stakeholders to ensure we continue to improve local transport solutions whilst also reducing emissions.