1. Carbon Reduction IP Track Safety & Sustainable Development Team
Under Sleeper Pads:
Carbon Reduction
IP Track Safety & Sustainable Development Team
5-Dec-18

2. Under Sleeper Pads – Sustainability Benefits
All materials (such as rail, sleepers and ballast) emit carbon dioxide during their manufacture, this can be measured as ‘embodied carbon’
Under Sleeper Pads provide increased load spread through the sleepers onto the ballast which reduces the stresses within the ballast layer, extending the life span of the asset
Trials suggest the life span of assets can be doubled which would significantly reduce the cost and volume of carbon dioxide produced over the assets life span
5-Dec-18

3. Calculation based on a 1km renewal
Quantities have been calculated using 2km of rail, 1476 Sleepers and 1612 tonnes of Ballast.
Based on recent trials, Under Sleeper Pads can increase the life cycle of a track renewal from 20 years to 40 years.
Track Life cycle
Total Embodied Carbon (Kg/CO2e)
Total Cost of renewal
Total Carbon (Kg/CO2e) per year
Cost (per year for renewal based on life span)
20 (Without under sleep pads
1,620,631
£1,700,000
81,031
£85,000
40 (With under sleeper pads)
1,640,123
£1,723,616
41,003
£43,090
Under sleeper pads cost £16 per pad and 1416 are needed = £23,616
/14.3Kg = 113,330 Gallons
113,300 Gallons = Litres
Average car holds 65 Litres of fuel /65= 7924
A 1km renewal equates to the same amount of carbon as a vehicle using 515,071 litres of fuel which is enough to fill 8000 cars on average!!
A renewal with under sleeper pads will (on average) produce less than half the carbon over the time period that the renewal lasts as opposed to a renewal without using under sleeper pads which leads to IP Track contributing to the sustainability objective of reducing carbon as per Network Rail’s Carbon Reduction Commitment
5-Dec-18

4. Looking to the future….
Under Sleeper Pads can be procured through the standard NROL system at an additional £16 per fitted and delivered G44 padded concrete sleeper
The Professional Head of Track is looking to mandate their use following successful trials by the IP Track Engineering & Innovation team
The IP Track Environment Team are looking to utilise a carbon counting tool to begin calculating the embodied carbon of all materials used in IP Track
Other ways to reduce carbon in future include:
Use less materials
Substitute high carbon materials with low carbon materials
Using materials with high level of recycled content
5-Dec-18