Train Sustainability Strategy

Britain's railways play an integral part in delivering sustainable transport; therefore all railway companies need to adopt sustainability as a fundamental component of their business.

The purpose of this document is to demonstrate how we will meet the forward-facing sustainability agenda of 21st century society; meeting the political and stakeholder aspirations of a modern, sustainable transport operator. In doing so, we will seek to achieve a minimum of 'expectation' status when measured against our peer Arriva UK Trains businesses as set out in the Arriva Environmental Strategy Framework, while aiming for 'pioneer' status in at least one sphere of each individual subset. 

CrossCountry covers the three countries of Great Britain, with services running from Scotland to Cornwall, The North West to the South Coast and from Wales to East Anglia - the largest geographical coverage of any UK passenger train operator. Unlike other train operators, we do not manage any railway stations and the maintenance of our fleet is carried out by contractors. These characteristics set us apart from other train operators who can rely on these factors for more traditional sustainability approaches. 

Our approach to sustainability incorporates the Arriva corporate values and Deutsche Bahn’s environmental objectives, in addition to supporting CrossCountry's corporate objectives. The Rail Industry Sustainable Development Principles also underpin this strategy. 

This sustainability programme will be delivered through the appropriate procedures, functions and departments within our business, with appropriate ownership and accountability assigned to all levels. Directors and senior managers will ensure sustainability is embedded throughout business functions to ensure sustainability is a core principle of our operations. 

We aim to engage all CrossCountry colleagues, with responsibilities and accountability assigned appropriately across the business. Key principles will be translated into measurable actions for which people will be accountable. 

To achieve our mission and tangibly realise the benefits, this strategy addresses the three key themes of sustainability: Social, Environmental and Economic - with all activities directly impacting one or more theme. 

This strategy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Sustainability Review Group, with periodic updates reviewed at Executive level. 

1. Leadership

Objective

Sustainability is embedded in our business through its inclusion in our strategic objectives for performance, safety and environmental sustainability. 
It is our priority to promote sustainability throughout every level of the business, with key actions and accountabilities identified and progress regularly monitored. A dedicated workgroup led by an Executive Director will be responsible for setting the sustainability strategy, performing the annual review and owning the respective actions. 

We will proactively engage and support strategic industry partners, such as the Office of Rail Regulation, Network Rail, RSSB, and other train operators to develop shared objectives to improve industry sustainability performance. 

1.1: We will promote strong leadership and lead by example. Directors will lead focused discussions with staff to identify relevant sustainability issues. All leaders will seek out and champion sustainability actions and initiatives, and challenge or be challenged on unsustainable behaviours or conditions.

1.2: A Director will be identified to champion and support Sustainability. This will demonstrate to staff that senior management at the highest level are committed to sustainability.

1.3: We will use regular sustainability meetings to ensure that activities and initiatives are actioned and that management at all levels are committed to delivering sustainability.

1.4: We will proactively engage and support strategic industry partners, such as Network Rail, the Rail Delivery Group and other train operators to develop shared objectives to improve industry sustainability performance.

1.5: Sustainability will be embedded in to CrossCountry's annual business objectives which are filtered down to all levels of the business.

2. Transparency and Communication

Objective

We will lead an open and honest communication programme with our customers, stakeholders, and employees, sharing progress in demonstrating the benefits of rail as a sustainable transport solution. 

We will review and measure appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to monitor our sustainability performance. 

To ensure all colleagues recognise sustainability as a key objective of the business we will regularly communicate our objectives and progress internally. 

2.1: We will work with key stakeholders to provide information on our sustainability performance and that of the wider rail industry, to demonstrate the benefits of rail as a sustainable transport solution.

2.2: Performance reporting will be shared internally to enable staff to understand and deliver changes to the businesses culture and performance.

2.3: We will establish and keep under review appropriate key performance indicators to measure and monitor our sustainability performance. To ensure senior managers are held to account for performance against agreed targets.

2.4: We will provide regular updates to enable our people to understand the sustainability strategy and to deliver industry-leading sustainability performance and business benefits.

3. Passenger Experience

Objective

Our customers' opinions and perceptions are invaluable and help us to improve the services we provide. We aim to consistently track perceptions and satisfaction of customers through the National Passenger Survey and our own Customer Experience Research which allows us to better understand customer expectations. 

We will continue to deliver our performance targets as specified with Network Rail for CP6 and maximise capacity where possible to deliver effective transport services for people undertaking leisure, business, and commuting journeys, helping to grow social mobility. 

3.1: We will consistently track perceptions and satisfaction of customers through NRPS and our own Customer Experience Research that allows us to measure and identify trends.

3.2: We will continue to deliver the agreed PPM targets as fixed with Network Rail for CP6 for CrossCountry.

3.3: We will deliver socio-economic benefits to the towns, cities, and wider communities we serve; working with local stakeholders, regional authorities and business partners to continuously deliver effective transport service for people undertaking, leisure, business, and commuting journeys .

3.4: We will utilise technology and capacity management techniques to meet the continuing growth in rail travel and increase modal shift from road to rail; ensuring on-board capacity is maximised through revenue management and seek to encourage journey migration to periods where greater capacity exists.

4. Our People and Communities

Objective

Our employees are a vital component of our success as a business. To meet their needs a company Health and Wellbeing programme will ensure the welfare of all our people.  

The delivery of a safe and secure working environment for our employees and a secure service to passengers and the wider public is our paramount priority and upholding a rigorous Safety Strategy is a primary focus of our business. 

The business will maintain a positive approach to philanthropic gestures for relevant deserving causes. 

4.1: We will achieve the continuous delivery of all statutory and company policies relating to Safety.

4.2: We will work with our people to deliver a health and wellbeing programme appropriate to the occupational health and wellbeing needs of job roles and our diverse workforce.

4.3: We will educate our employees on our existing and planned sustainability undertakings and actively encourage improvement suggestions.

4.4: We will maintain a positive approach to requests for philanthropic contributions for societal enhancement and in support of good deeds.

5. Improving Environmental Performance

Objective

We will work to maintain a continuous reduction in the carbon footprint of our business and its people. Our environmental impact and energy consumption will be managed through the implementation of technology such as smart metering and the Driver Advisory System (DAS), which will be installed across our fleets to provide real time advice to drivers, promote fuel efficient driving, optimise journeys, increase punctuality, and reduce our carbon emissions. 

By working to ISO14001 & ISO 50001, internally recognised environmental management systems, and ensuring our suppliers and partners are supporting and meeting our Sustainability KPIs we aim to ensure our business meets the targets agreed in the company Safety and Environment Plan. 

5.1: We will ensure our key supply chain partners support our Sustainable Procurement Strategy through contractual KPIs.

5.2: We will complete the implementation of a Driver Advisory System across all three fleets.

5.3: We will work with station operators to ensure waste removed from trains is disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

5.4: We will ensure suppliers provide goods and services to meet the aforementioned Sustainable Procurement Strategy.

5.5: We will demonstrate continuous improvement of ISO14001 & ISO 50001  targets as a business.