Great Britain’s railway is already the most sustainable way to transport large numbers of people and goods. We’re in a strong position to continue; however, we can’t be complacent.

Our country and our industry needs a leadership plan to further develop the sustainability of the railway. We must make sure that rail can contribute significantly to crucial activities such as decarbonisation, nature recovery and improving quality of life.

Over the last few years, we have all faced unprecedented challenges. The railway continues to adjust in the post-pandemic era. We have recognised these realities to develop a blueprint which is ambitious, but also pragmatic and practical.

There’s a lot of positive work already underway. Aligning this and future work around a consistent set of strategic aims and focus areas set out in the Blueprint will enable more efficient progress. It willalso clarify the options and choices available to us, enabling better informed debates on affordability and practicality.

As Chair of the Sustainable Rail Executive, I’m pleased to share this Sustainable Rail Blueprint. Its co-creation has been led by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and overseen by the Department for Transport. Many from across our industry have made valuable contributions towards its development. Thank you to all involved.

With the Sustainable Rail Blueprint now in place, we must move our focus to the practicalities of embedding and implementation. Crucially, we need to help rail organisations align their own day-to-day operations with rail’s overall sustainability aims and grow a culture for sustainability. We’re very aware of work being done elsewhere in the industry; this Blueprint is designed to complement and support these other pieces of work.

The Sustainable Rail Blueprint sets out the framework for the way forward for sustainable rail, helping to inform discussion and drive rail transformation, through its contribution to the long-term strategy for rail.