In an industry first, train operator Lumo has shared data detailing its economic contribution and emissions saved by its all-electric service.
The data, which is shared across the two reports, revealed that the East Coast Main Line operator saved 60.6 kilotons of CO2 last year – the equivalent of taking 13,475 petrol-powered cars off the road for a year or powering 7,632 homes for the same duration. The results also established that the open access operator saved eight times the carbon emissions it produced, as it attracted passengers from other, more polluting, modes of transport.
Two thirds of the emissions saved were on journeys between the South East and Scotland, with the majority of customers being converted from air travel. Meanwhile, journeys between South East and North East of England predominantly converted car users, and made up almost a third of all Lumo’s avoided emissions.
Alongside these sustainability credentials, Lumo is set to deliver between £470 and £740 million in economic benefits through its faster journeys, industry employment and fare savings for customers. With its lower fares alone, it is estimated that rail passengers have saved a collective total of £18 million in the last financial year by choosing Lumo.
Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Lumo, said: “What we are seeing from this first-of-its-kind report is just how beneficial rail is to the UK. Since its launch, Lumo has been on a mission to convert customers from carbon-intensive modes of transport, like plane and cars, to train – and this report proves the economic and environmental benefits of doing so.
“We’re dedicated to improving the rail industry through innovative thinking and it is exciting to have this information at hand as we continue mapping out Lumo’s future. We have already begun looking towards the next stages of Lumo, exploring options to expand our services with an extra daily return between Newcastle and London, and we are excited for what the future holds.”
Lumo’s Economic Impacts Study and its Avoided Emissions Assessment can be viewed here: https://www.lumo.co.uk/arup
