Successes in boosting sustainability and biodiversity have led to the £26million Island Line upgrade by South Western Railway receiving a top environmental rating.
World-leading sustainability assessment and rating scheme, CEEQUAL, awarded the project a ‘Good’ rating, demonstrating that sustainable development was considered and implemented throughout the project, at the 1st available opportunity to complete a CEEQUAL assessment.
Key sustainability successes included engagement with Natural England and the Isle of Wight Council to ensure that the project resulted in no net biodiversity loss, the installation of platform overlays at 6 stations to reduce waste by avoiding the demolition of existing platforms and the reuse of excavated ballast and coper stones and FSC certified timber products.
South Western Railway was also praised for the level of stakeholder engagement taking place and the local partnership links that were formed during the project.
The £26million upgrade of the Island Line – which was completed last year – has transformed the railway’s trains, infrastructure and stations has been fairly successful despite the recent issues around staffing.
Amy Dickinson, SWR’s Head of Sustainability, said:
“We are absolutely delighted that SWR’s ongoing commitment to sustainability has been recognised in this way. The Island Line Upgrade was the first SWR project to be assessed by CEEQUAL and the ‘Good’ assessment demonstrates that environmental sustainability was at the forefront of the project throughout.”
Probably got the rating because they hardly ever run
What are you on about? One of the most reliable train routes in the UK. They were even running whilst rest of the country are on strike.
It is not even the most reliable on the IOW – let alone the rest of the UK
Nothing to be proud of.
Is that you?!
What about all the days it did not run with staff sickness
Isn’t it amazing what you can buy these days .. well done island Line .
You miserable old lot are the down fall of this country. Why can’t you be more positive for once !
I waited from 5.20pm to get a train home today, in the end I had to get a bus back at 7.15pm, as did a lot of others. Had a lovely day in Ryde at the Mardis Gras and this just spoilt it. No staff at Ryde to say what was going on, just had to go by the electronic board, which kept changing. I would have got the bus back earlier if I had known. The bus fare back was more than the return fare on the train I paid. Not happy.
Great service ,polite staff,what else can one say.
Crap service,polite staff,what else can one say.
OK, well done… now get a tunnel to mainland sorted !