Net carbon assessment for projects
Worcestershire Parkway was designed and built with the aim of reducing carbon emissions in line with Worcestershire County Council’s (WCC) Net Zero Carbon Plan. This case study looks at the station’s carbon impact, highlighting both the challenges and successes in working towards a net-zero target within five years of opening.
Background
The station improves transport links and eases road congestion in Worcestershire by offering direct rail connections to major cities like London, Birmingham and Cardiff. Worcestershire Parkway has encouraged more people to use the train helping to support sustainable travel.
The focus on reducing carbon started at the beginning. Building a new railway station requires a lot of materials and energy. For Worcestershire Parkway, this led to an initial carbon footprint of around 7,186,000 kgCO₂e. The main sources of these emissions were:
- Constructing the station building and platforms.
- Installing piles, lighting columns, retaining walls and culverts.
- Adding cabling, cycle storage, troughs, and repeater signals.
The project included smart solutions to cut carbon throughout its lifecycle and achieved a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating, showing that it was built in an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way.
Data
Using data from the RSSB Rail Carbon Tool and analysis by SLC, Worcestershire Parkway has been found to have reached a stage where it is removing more carbon from the atmosphere than was emitted during its construction and operation.
The station has seen 2 million journeys since it opened which has significantly reduced CO₂ emissions by encouraging a sustainable transport choice. Worcestershire Parkway’s impact in shifting people to rail saves approximately 1,800,000 kgCO₂e each year – which offsets the station’s annual operational emissions of 145,121 kgCO₂e.
During the construction of the station, we maintained a low carbon footprint by carefully monitoring and reducing emissions throughout the project. For example, reusing on-site material reduced the need for importing new construction materials and reusing platform piles for the station saved enough carbon to power approximately 60 homes for an entire year.
