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Thursday 22 Mar 2018

Network Rail taps into drive to reduce plastic

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National

• Network Rail today launched its first free drinking water fountain at London Charing Cross station.

Thousands of station users and passengers are set to benefit from the newly installed free drinking water fountain at London Charing Cross station.  

The free drinking water initiative, which seeks to encourage station users to refill their own multiple use water bottles, forms part of Network Rail’s wider ambitions to reduce the impact of plastic waste at its stations.

Learnings from the trial at London Charing Cross will inform a full rollout of free drinking water facilities across all Network Rail’s managed stations later in the year with fountains installed where it is practical and feasible to do so.

Mark Carne, Network Rail’s chief executive said: “Today we’ve launched our first free drinking water fountain at London Charing Cross station. We hope that by making this small change, we not only help quench the thirst of our station users, but also have a positive impact on the environment by reducing single-use plastics.

"As one of Britain’s biggest landowners, we are always looking for the best ways to positively change, protect and enhance Britain’s environment and it’s our ambition to reduce the waste that we send to landfill to as near as possible to zero.”

Network Rail is also committed to reducing our energy consumption by 18% and carbon emissions by 25% over the next five years.  

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: “By refilling our water bottles to cut our plastic use we can each make a genuine difference and help to protect our oceans and precious marine life. One of our big challenges is on the go consumption including in transport hubs like railway stations. 

"That is why Network Rail deserve great credit for introducing this new water fountain, which will give commuters free access to excellent clean and safe drinking water, and I hope this will be the first of many fountains across the rail network and across the country.”