Non-Technical Summary - Chiltern Evergreen3

EVERGREEN 3Carbon Dioxide EmissionsLand QualityCRCL’s new train services as a result of this Scheme will:• enable passengers to travel quickly and directly bytrain from North Oxford and Bicester and onwardtowards London rather than using other more carbonintensive modes and services; and• will increase transport capacity for passengers to travelbetween Oxford, Bicester and onward towards London.Trains are much more energy efficient than road vehiclesand the average CO emission for a passenger journeymade on CRCL’s train services is about one third of theequivalent passenger journey made by car.Due to the historical uses of the land required for theScheme (primarily railway land) and historical industrialland uses adjacent to the Scheme, there are a number ofareas of potentially contaminated land.However, overall the adverse residual impact of potentialcontamination during the construction of the Scheme isconsidered to be of low to moderate significance. Theremay be an overall beneficial impact after construction ofthe Scheme through a reduction in the overall area ofland classified as potentially contaminated, following thetreatment of any contamination that is found.Traffic arising as a result of construction will result in anincrease in CO emissions of 1.1 Kilo-tonnes of CO perannum above the baseline for about 18 months.The net change in train services, ie the introduction ofnew CRCL services and the removal of First Great Westernservices, will increase rail emissions by 1.8 Kilo-tonnes perannum in 2016 and by 2.3 Kilo-tonnes per annum in 2026.Once the Scheme is operational, overall CO emissionsfrom road traffic reduce by 1.5 Kilo-tonnes per annum in2016 and increase by 1.3 Kilo-tonnes per annum in 2026.This analysis takes account of the net change in road trafficie background growth and suppressed demand that willoccupy the capacity on the road network that will be freedup as a result of transfers of passengers from road to rail.On this basis the net operational impact of the Schemewill therefore be an increase in carbon dioxide emissionsof 0.3 Kilo-tonnes per annum in 2016 and 3.6 Kilo-tonnesin 2026. This is less than 0.01% of national transportemissions and is not significant.However, creating additional transport capacity byoperating CRCL train services rather than increasing roadspace is much more energy and CO efficient. The grossreductions in emissions from car trips as a result of thismodal shift are around 2.7 Kilo-tonnes per annum in 2016and over 3.4 Kilo-tonnes per annum in 2026.18 EVERGREEN3 WWW.CHILTERN-EVERGREEN3.CO.UK