As HS2 continues its journey northward, Network Rail is heavily involved in the development of the Northern Powerhouse Rail and the construction of the Transpennine Route Upgrade program. Both projects are vital to the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands. Alongside these endeavors, Network Rail also confronts the Department for Transport’s directive to quantify, report, and significantly reduce whole-life carbon emissions.

The crucial strategy for achieving this directive is to amalgamate data from all three major programs into a single digital platform, providing an environment for reviewing both current and future assets in a digital context. This capability supports more informed decision-making and enables stakeholders to efficiently assess potential synergies and alternatives across these projects.

Working together with Jacobs, Network Rail is refining a method for calculating carbon emissions with greater accuracy. This method places emphasis on the early stages of design, where the most impactful carbon reduction can be achieved, and sustains this focus throughout the project’s lifespan. This long-term, sustainable approach to carbon reduction, facilitated by Bentley Systems’ technology, anticipates an efficient reduction of carbon emissions for years into the future.