Sustainable Rail Blueprint
The Sustainable Rail Blueprint (The Blueprint) is the industry-wide framework for realising sustainable rail. It sets out rail’s first unified plan, as far as 2050.
The Blueprint was co-created with the whole industry, led by RSSB. Development was overseen by the Sustainable Rail Executive (SRE) and Government. This was supported by the Sustainable Rail Groups.
It provides key inputs into the Long-Term Rail Strategy. It highlights policy commitments and variations, and aligns with existing organisational strategies.
The Blueprint is subject to regular reviews. This ensures it remains at the forefront of the industry’s approach to creating a sustainable railway.
Our progress
To share rail’s success in delivering the blueprint from 2023-25 and set out future industry priorities, we have published a progress report.
Developing the Sustainable Rail Blueprint
In May 2022, a prototype document for consultation was published, the ‘Sustainable Rail Strategy: Prototype’. The consultation aimed to extend collaboration to the wider industry and external experts, to understand how the prototype would be used by the rail industry and how it could become more effective.
The Blueprint has been developed and improved with the consultation findings and engagement with industry.
Download these documents
The Rail Sustainable Development Principles
The Rail Sustainable Development Principles were published in 2016 to define what sustainable development means for the railway. They were developed within the Sustainable Rail Programme with significant input from its stakeholders and endorsed by the cross-industry Sustainable Development Steering Group.
