Northern Rail links energy efficiency improvements to ISO 50001 Certification

Paul Boughton

Following Northern Rail’s 2011 certification to the new international energy management system standard ISO 50001, preliminary figures have demonstrated improved energy efficiency based on like for like comparisons.
 
Since implementing ISO 50001, one of the key initiatives has seen Northern Rail undertaking a large amount of work on data collection with the installation of a metering programme across almost 300 sites across their network. 

As Gareth Williams, Northern Rail’s Energy Solutions Manager, explained: “The metering programme provides Northern Rail with accurate monthly invoice data and access to half hourly information which in turn has allowed better management at site level. ISO 50001 helps us to establish a systematic approach by embedding processes to improve energy performance, including energy efficiency across the whole of the organisation.”
 
Commenting on the figures, Ian Bevan, Managing Director of Northern Rail said; “LRQA Business Assurance certification to ISO 50001 has so far helped Northern Rail to reduce our electricity use by over 11 per cent and our gas consumption by over 15 per cent. More importantly, the overall impact on our business is clear through the role that our certified energy management system is playing on leading our Board to agree an entire new approach to reducing energy by allocating specific area energy budgets."
 
Northern Rail is the biggest train operator in Britain, providing 2,500 local and regional train services every day across the north of England, serving a population of nearly 15 million.
 
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