This instalment of the Zero Waste Railways Series, held on 20 November 2024 in Paris, focused on the contribution of circularity to rail transport’s drive for zero emissions, and gathered some 25 participants in person and another 20 online.
Building on the previous workshops and the global call to curb carbon emissions as well as the momentum from the UNFCC COP 29 in Baku, UIC invited the supply industry, and its member railway companies to showcase their best circular economy practices that had a direct impact in reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the rail transport value chain.
The day opened with a presentation by Rose Stephani who briefly outlined the Railsponsible initiative and highlighted that economic and environmental goals are no longer in opposition when moving towards a circular economy, but instead aligned for mutual benefit. This was followed by an interactive session for the in-person and online participants.
Next, the supply industry showcased innovations such as circular sulphur-based cement sleepers from Thiotrack, digital wood technology to develop greener infrastructure, from Strong By Form and Deutsche Bahn (DB), and the first catenary system made from 100% recycled copper, from La Farga and ProRail.
Infrastructure managers showcased modernised wooden sleepers for a low-carbon, circular economy, with locally sourced wood and environmentally friendly wood protection processes, from SNCF Réseau (UIC Sustainability Impact Awards (SIA) 2024 winner). NetworkRail presented work on circular metrics to forecast the reuse of materials, and ProRail showcased their new project allowing for rail grinding residue recycling to produce new rails. Finally for this section, the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) presented their work on Embedding Net Zero Design with the Sustainable Rail Blueprint, helping all of Great Britain’s rail network stakeholders align their efforts for a more sustainable future.
For the next part, rail undertakings showcased how hydrogenated vegetable oil can help decarbonise diesel traction, from DB Cargo (SIA 2024 winner), and how decommissioned rolling stock parts can be embedded in projects developed according to a holistic sustainable approach from the Dutch Railways (NS).
The day ended with an interactive session by Sara Walton from the British Standards Institute discussing the obstacles to and solutions for rail companies using circularity standards.
The success stories highlighted showed that dedicated teams, cooperation along the entire rail transport value chain, as well as awareness and endorsement from the upper management levels were key success factors. The productive discussions between participants and speakers fostered new connections, paving the way for more sustainable and circular solutions in rail transport.
Stay tuned for the next instalment in March 2025!
