For the railway industry to achieve the carbon neutral targets set by the UK government in recent years, it is also important to reduce the environmental impact of rail services. Diesel engine exhaust emissions are known to emit particulates and pollutants which are harmful to human health, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, to name just a few.
Researchers at the Birmingham Centre for Rail Research and Education (BCRRE) have investigated the levels of these pollutants at Birmingham New Street station to understand how diesel engines are affecting air quality at one of the UK’s major railway stations. We found that the hourly measurements of nitrogen oxide were more than ten times higher than those measured over the same period on the Middleway Ring Road (A4540) – which will form the boundary for Birmingham’s clean air zone beginning in 2021.
While these measurements do not necessarily reflect the scale of the issue at other stations across the country, this type of research will help planners ensure that both the environment, rail staff and passengers are less exposed to harmful air borne particulates and pollutants. These findings are particularly concerning when viewed in the current context of a global pandemic where not only is there now a large risk to health across all public transport modes but also a correlation with patient outcomes.
Research undertaken by the Universities of Birmingham and Cambridge has highlighted that air quality and in particular nitrogen dioxide and fine particulates, known causes of health issues, impacts the outcomes of patients diagnosed with Covid-19.