Over 16,180 new LED fittings replace older bulbs across the South Western Railway network, helping to save enough energy to charge over 450 million iPhones.
The new LEDs are improving the lighting in customer facing areas such as station platforms and ticket offices as well as car parks, footways and cycleways.
South Western Railway (SWR) has announced a 21% reduction in energy consumption* following the installation of new LED light fittings at 165 stations on its network, which is one of the largest in Europe. The project, which has seen more than 16,180 new LED fittings replace older bulbs, has contributed to a 4.9 million kWh drop across all stations and depots, the equivalent of 1,164 tonnes of CO2 or charging 450,059,314 smartphones. Although not the only factor causing this dramatic drop, the LED replacement programme is the main driver behind the change.
As well as saving energy, the LEDs noticeably improve lighting in customer facing areas of SWR stations, including station platforms, concourses, and ticket offices. SWR has also replaced light fittings in car parks, footways, cycleways, and foot bridges within its lease, also helping improve visibility and customer safety.
SWR is committed to reducing its total energy usage in buildings by 41% by 2024, compared to 2015/16. This latest announcement confirms that SWR is making good progress and is now halfway to its overall energy reduction target.
Amelia Woodley, Head of Sustainability at South Western Railway commented: “We are passionate about sustainability and continue to introduce improvements that help us reduce our environmental impact. Like all businesses, we have a responsibility to constantly review and improve practices. We hope, when travel restrictions ease and we welcome more customers back to the railway, that people will notice the difference and feel safer at our stations thanks to the new lighting.”
Replacing all light fittings in the customer facing areas with more sustainable and efficient LED bulbs forms just part of SWR’s wider efforts to improve energy efficiency and environmental impact. Improvements to water collection have led to significant reduction in water consumption, and thanks to a dedicated team of waste officers, SWR already sends 0% of its waste to landfill.
* Energy consumption in April – December 2015 compared to April – December 2020.
Comments