Clean Air

Northern is committed to improving air quality across the railway to ensure cleaner, healthier environments for customers, colleagues and local communities. While rail is responsible for only a small share of national air pollution, diesel engines can cause localised impacts, especially at enclosed or busy stations. Reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions is a priority for us as we work towards a cleaner future for the North. 
 

What we’ve done 

To target improvements, we’ve developed Air Quality Improvement Plans (AQIPs) for key locations and play an active role in the rail industry’s Air Quality Monitoring Network. This includes deploying technology to monitor diesel emissions at stations to build a fuller picture of local air quality. We’ve also modelled the impact of new trains entering service and we expect major improvements to local air quality once the next generation of rolling stock replaces older diesel units.