Is It Time to Replace Diesel Trains?

According to new research from King’s College London and Edinburgh University, Great Britain's reliance on archaic diesel trains is exposing both passengers and railway staff to dangerously high levels of nitrogen dioxide at major stations. Trains are the lifeblood of the British transport sector, with rail passenger journeys in Great Britain hitting a record high of more than 1.7 billion in 2018/19. While trains play a pivotal role in getting Brits from A to B, the study warns that diesel locomotives are major contributors to air pollution.

King’s Cross and Waverley identified as "dirtiest" railway stations in UK

The study focused on King’s Cross in London and Waverley in Edinburgh, two of the busiest train stations in the UK. In just two weeks, both stations exceeded annual nitrogen dioxide (NO2) limits enforced by the EU, with the report warning that spending time inside King’s Cross or Waverley is the equivalent of "standing close to a very heavily trafficked road in a city centre."

Diesel trains are major contributors to railway air pollution, with the report identifying a "strong positive association" between the number of diesel locomotives pulling into stations and higher levels of NO2. The researchers put the high levels of pollution down to poor ventilation and a tendency to leave diesel trains idling within the confines of the station.

Diesel pollution linked to lung cancer

It's not the first time diesel trains have landed in the spotlight, with a recent study released by the World Health Organisation International Agency for Research on Cancer has a more profound impact on the development of lung cancer than originally thought. Environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth agrees, claiming air pollution, including diesel fumes, is linked to around 36,000 premature deaths every year.

Network Rail admits that while the UK is transitioning towards electric trains, pollution from diesel locomotives is still a serious health issue. "Rail is the greenest way of moving people and goods in large numbers, but there is still much more we can do as an industry," reads a statement released by the company. "We recognise diesel exhaust emissions as an emerging issue at some of our managed stations and have commissioned research to improve our understanding, and inform the actions we are already taking and intend to take in future."

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