Rail passengers with EVs will be able to charge while they travel thanks to the introduction of 450 new charging points at Network Rail-managed car parks at railway stations.
The organisation has introduced 160 Compleo charge points in Reading, 111 in Manchester, 84 in Edinburgh, 56 at Leeds and 41 in Welwyn Garden City.
These charging points, powered by guaranteed renewable energy, will provide enough power to fully charge a vehicle in three to four hours.
According to Network Rail, by March 2024, EV charging points will be installed across 10% of spaces at car parks it manages – 779 in total.
The new Compleo charging points are marked with green parking bays and passengers can pay via the APCOA Connect app.
Jo Lewington, Network Rail’s Chief Environment & Sustainability Officer, said: “As part of our wider Environmental Sustainability Strategy, we’re working towards delivering a low-emission railway and aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2045 in Scotland and by 2050 in the rest of Britain.
“Supporting the move to electric vehicles is a key part of that. We hope that by providing affordable, efficient and reliable charging points we can encourage more electric vehicles onto the road and help promote healthier air in and around our stations.”
Kim Challis, APCOA’s Regional Managing Director for UK & Ireland said, “We’re really pleased to have developed this solution in conjunction with Compleo to enable charging authentication and easy payment for Network Rail’s EV customers.
“This solution also provides a significant step towards our sustainability strategy.”
