UK: Infrastructure manager Network Rail has completed a four-night overhead line equipment renewal project at Royston which, for the first time in its Eastern Region, was undertaken with the worksite producing no carbon emissions.
Hybrid engineering vehicles operated solely in battery mode, welfare facilities were powered by batteries, and battery and solar powered tower lighting was used.
An 80 kW battery pack powered the welfare facilities and charged the vehicles. Engineers also used battery-powered tools, and materials such as plastics, paper and other consumables were all recyclable.
Network Rail is now looking at ways to roll this approach out across more worksites.
‘This project has been months in the planning and preparation, and I’m delighted that it has finally come to fruition and been so successful’, said Electrification & Sustainable Development Project Manager Owen Laws on October 16. ‘We want this to be a rolling programme of work throughout Network Rail and I’m looking forward to helping other teams deliver engineering work projects in a more sustainable way.’
