Six stations across the South West Trains network are amongst the first on Britain’s railways to benefit from a new, more environmentally-friendly lighting system which uses up to 60% less energy than traditional lights.
The new technology gives the ability to control the station lighting, particularly on the platforms and in outdoor areas. Sensors detect the level of daylight brightness and automatically increase, decrease or switch off the lights to maximise the use of natural light. Sensors can also adjust the lights to changing conditions during the daytime, for example when trains enter a station and shade a platform or when dark rain clouds appear.
Following a successful trial carried out by South West Trains and Network Rail at Woking, the new lighting system is now also in operation at Haslemere, Putney, Twickenham, Chandlers Ford and New Milton stations.
Malcolm Page, Station Development Manager for South West Trains, said: “We are constantly looking at ways to deliver greener smarter travel for our passengers. By delivering innovative and sustainable lighting solutions, we are helping to make a significant contribution towards lowering carbon emissions, making travel by train an even greener option.
“This trial is a significant milestone in the lighting revolution and confirms our reputation as a greener, smarter transport provider.”
Richard O’Brien, Network Rail’s Route Director for Wessex, said: “Rail is already the most environmentally-friendly form of public transport, and this is another example of how the industry continues to use the latest technology to reduce its energy usage. Based on the apparent benefits of the new system, we can now look for other opportunities to use this technology at stations across the country.”
