REGIONAL train operator One has received a major award in recognition of its environmental efforts. The company won the Best Fleet Management award at the international Green Business Awards, run by World Business magazine and the INSEAD Business School.

REGIONAL train operator One has received a major award in recognition of its environmental efforts.

The company, part of the National Express Group and due to be renamed National Express East Anglia from next year, won the Best Fleet Management award at the international Green Business Awards, run by World Business magazine and the INSEAD Business School.

The fleet management award focused on transport operations and looked for progress in the areas of innovation, reduced energy usage, cost effectiveness, employee involvement and the transferability of the approach to other companies.

One has taken a proactive approach to energy efficiency, with a wide range of initiatives including regenerative braking on its Class 360 trains, which converts energy created as the trains brake back into electricity and has reduced the fleet's power consumption by 16%.

It is also trialling the use of fuel additives on its diesel fleet to reduce its fuel consumption also, and has also introduced an energy efficiency driving programme for its drivers, using its state-of-the-art driving simulators at its customer services “academy”.

Other initiative have focused on reducing the energy used for heating, cooling and lighting, ranging from simple measures such as switching off power when trains are not in use and encouraging conductors and other staff to close windows to upgrading control systems and installing more energy-efficient equipment.

The actions form part of a coordinated Energy Efficiency Plan developed and led by the company's head of operations development, Phil Barrett, who was presented with the award at a ceremony in London. The judges praised the “impressive commitment and action of the company” in the development and delivery of its energy efficiency plan.

Andrew Chivers, managing director for One, said: “We're delighted that our progress in running a more energy-efficient railway has been recognized with this international Green Business award for fleet management.

“It's a credit to our fleet and operations teams that they are reducing energy usage by up to 9% across our operations. Rail travel is already an environmentally-friendly way to travel. We intend to develop and implement further initiatives which reinforce our position as a sustainable mode of transport.”