The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Network Rail have sought to understand if Network Rail’s Strategic Business Plan (SBP) forecasts of Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions are realistic and supported by robust benchmarks, management and operational approaches for the period from April 2024 to March 2029, known as Control Period 7 (CP7). In the role of Independent Reporter (IR), an AMCL-led team comprising AMCL, AQC, CPCS, and Eracura was appointed by ORR and Network Rail to undertake a two-stage review of Network Rail’s Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions forecasts for CP7.
Stage 1
The IR carried out a review of Network Rail’s plans and forecasts for decarbonisation of Scope 1 and 2 emissions in CP7, to ascertain if they are robust, consistent, well evidenced and sufficient to meet the requirements of the High-Level Output Specifications (HLOSs) for England & Wales and Scotland and milestones set out in the Department for Transport (DfT) Rail Environment Policy Statement and the Transport Scotland (TS) Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan. The IR found that:
- Network Rail’s Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions plans and forecasts for CP7 are sufficient to meet the core requirements of the HLOSs, DfT’s Rail Environment Policy Statement and TS's Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan;
- the Region’s forecasts of CP7 carbon emissions lacked consistency and would achieve carbon emissions reductions well in excess of the formal targets set within the SBPs;
- the IR additionally found a number of areas for improvement or development in the forecasts for Network Rail and ORR to consider in order to achieve best practice. Eight key findings and fifteen recommendations have been set out, with an assigned a priority level (Low, Medium, High) assigned to each recommendation.