Transport UK partners with UNESCO World Engineering Day 2025
Transport UK has been confirmed as a commercial partner to be featured in a 2025 campaign for UNESCO World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development.
This campaign will recognise the role of science and engineering in sustainable development, and Britain’s unrivalled rail heritage will be showcased in a short film highlighting Transport UK’s innovative sustainable transport solutions which reduce emissions and improve community safety.
The 12-month campaign will launch on World Engineering Day on 4th March 2025, a year marking the 80th anniversary of UNESCO and 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The Transport UK film explains how the company is helping to address SDG 11 - “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
The film begins in Liverpool, a city at the heart of transport innovation. In 1904, it unveiled one of the world’s first electric railways laying the foundations for Mersey Travel’s 777 fleet - the first battery powered electric trains in the UK. Like with hybrid cars, when the trains break, they generate energy that gets cycled back into the network.
The film explores Transport UK’s innovations in sustainability, investing £10 million in green technology across its rail network. Martin Beable, Managing Director at Greater Anglia (GA) and former New Trains and Fleet Director at Transport UK, explains how GA is well placed to operate the UK’s first hydrogen trains should the hydrogen feasibility study it is investing in alongside Eversholt Rail and Arup prove successful.
Alan Pilbeam, Chief Commercial Officer at Transport UK, who features in the film said:
“Transport UK is punching well above its weight when it comes to improving passenger access to sustainable transport across the UK. Driving innovation with Greater Anglia (GA), we have introduced an entirely new fleet of bi-modal trains that are energy efficient. We’re installing these same trains with East Midlands Railway (EMR).
“In the West Midlands, we’re driving environmental progress through ambitious plans. In our WMTen manifesto, we have a target to reduce emissions down to 10 percent. Our plan for achieving this will save the taxpayer tens of millions - if not hundreds of millions - of pounds, in reduced infrastructure enhancement costs in comparison of what it would cost to fully electrify the line.”
The film also highlights the recent success of Transport UK London Bus, which represents 11 percent of the capital’s bus routes. Not only has the firm got one of the largest electric and hybrid fleets in the region, but it is also on schedule to be fully electrified well before the Mayor of London’s deadline of 2030.
All of Transport UK’s depots are now equipped with electric chargers to power the new fleet of buses. Transport UK is also in discussion with local authorities regarding how its charging facilities across London might be used to power blue light services across the city.
Sustainability is a key pillar of Transport UK’s social values charter. The group continues to expand its electrified fleets and sustainability initiatives across its train operating companies and London Bus, in line with - and in some cases ahead of - the Government’s net-zero decarbonisation timelines.
Transport UK is committed to reducing emissions whilst improving air quality, connectivity, and accessibility for the communities it serves as it continues to deliver further innovation for the communities it serves.
The film created for UNESCO World Engineering Day 2025 has been produced by the SJH Group, in partnership with Transport UK.