Network Rail has announced the installation of 450 EV charging points at a number of its railway station car parks.
The rollout enables users of Network Rail car parks to combine their parking and EV charging costs within a single fee.
The charging points have been supplied by Compleo Charging Solutions UK, a provider of turnkey EV charging hardware and software solutions, and the contract is being managed by E.ON.
Signalled by green parking bays, the fast-charging, 3 phase 22kW AC units reportedly run on completely renewable energy and are said to be powerful enough to charge some EVs in three to four hours.
Compleo has worked with APCOA – the company that operates Network Rail’s car parks – to integrate its chargers into APCOA’s Connect app, enabling payment and charging authentication.
Compleo is delivering the charging hardware and management software, while supporting Network Rail with all aspects of the UK-wide project on the ground, including site surveys, installation, project management and ongoing maintenance.
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Network Rail has already introduced 160 charging points in Reading, 111 in Manchester, 84 in Edinburgh, 56 in Leeds and 41 in Welwyn Garden City. The project will provide a total of 833 EV chargers on completion.
EV chargers are set to be installed across 10% of all parking spaces in Network Rail car parks by March 2024.
Jo Lewington, Network Rail’s chief environment and sustainability officer, said: “As part of our wider Environmental Sustainability Strategy, we’re working toward 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 EVs is a key part of that.
“We hope that by providing affordable, efficient and reliable charging points we can encourage more EVs onto the road and help promote healthier air in and around our stations.”
Network Rail has also committed to a low-emission railway as part of its green agenda to help ensure its rail services are sustainable and resilient for years to come.
