2012-11-22 — /travelprnews.com/ — Thirteen pioneering sustainable travel schemes from across the UK, France and Belgium have been shortlisted today for the 2013 Eurostar Ashden Award for Sustainable Travel, moving a step closer to winning a share of the £30,000 prize fund.
The Award, now in its second year, recognises innovative travel schemes that are leading the way in encouraging people to adopt more sustainable ways of travelling, helping improve quality of life whilst reducing congestion, pollution, and CO2 emissions. The shortlist for 2013 is:
UK
- Stagecoach UK Bus – for an initiative aimed at converting non public transport users
- City of York Council – for York Park and Ride
- Sustrans Limited – for their project to extend the National Cycle Network into over 80 communities across the UK
- Metro –supporting companies in West Yorkshire to promote sustainable travel to their staff
- Transport for London – for a hybrid bus programme to reduce the environmental impact of the fleet
France
- Cityzen Car – making car-sharing between neighbours easy, thanks to a secure social web platform
- Cycloville – an economical and ecological transport service for the town
- Rezo Pouce the first organised hitchhiking network developed in France
- Comuto – an online booking system to make car sharing more reliable
Belgium
- Vlaamse Vervoersmaatschappij / De Lijn – for project ‘meettram’ and its cost-saving via the optimisation of the heating and ventilation of 40 trams
- Brusselse Raad voor het Leefmilieu (BRAL) – for the “8m² for everyone!” project which encourages people to find other users for the area that would otherwise be taken up by a parked car
- Taxistop – a carpooling service
- Blue-mobility – for Blue-bike, a national system of bike hire at more than 40 Belgian train stations
The finalists will be announced in May 2013, and up to two winners awarded a share of the £30,000 prize money at a prestigious ceremony in London in June 2013.
Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive, at Eurostar said: “At last year’s Ashden Awards, we discovered some ground-breaking sustainable travel schemes and we are delighted to be able to continue the search to uncover and reward more pioneering sustainable travel projects this year.
“The shortlist for 2013 shows the breadth of innovation in sustainable travel across the UK, France and Belgium, and as we progress to select our finalists, I look forward to learning more about the impact each of these schemes is having in their market.”
The Eurostar Ashden Award for Sustainable Travel is part of Eurostar’s Tread Lightly programme to reduce the business’ impact on the environment and encourage people to switch to more sustainable modes of transport.
-ends-
Media enquiries
Eurostar Press Office
t: 00 44 (0) 20 7843 5500
e: press.office@eurostar.com
Julia Hawkins, Julia.hawkins@ashden.org
0207 630 2903
Notes to editors
About Eurostar
1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Avignon and the French Alps.
2. Eurostar was established in 1994 as a partnership between three railway companies: SNCF, SNCB and LCR (London and Continental Railways). On 1 September 2010, Eurostar became a single, unified corporate entity owned by three shareholders: SNCF, SNCB and LCR.
3. The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph. Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 115 million passengers between London and the Continent. Following their refurbishment these trains will continue to form a core part of the Eurostar fleet.
4. The Eurostar Ashden Award for Sustainable Travel
- Since 2001 the Ashden awards have been supporting sustainability projects across the
globe and now they’re working with Eurostar to promote sustainable travel
- As part of the Tread Lightly programme to cut carbon and get people thinking differently about their journeys, Eurostar launched the Ashden Award for Sustainable Travel last year
- With a prize fund and a host of benefits, the Eurostar Ashden Award for Sustainable Travel celebrates and supports local sustainable travel projects in the UK, France and Belgium
5. Eurostar is a founder member of Railteam, a partnership between Europe’s leading high-speed train operators that is developing simpler ways to book and travel on the fast-expanding, European high-speed rail network.
About the Ashden Awards
The Ashden Awards were founded in 2001 to encourage the greater use of local clean energy to address climate change and alleviate poverty. Since then they have rewarded over 140 green energy champions across the UK and the developing world. Ashden showcases and celebrates best practice, encourages the expansion and replication of winners’ work, raises awareness of the potential of local sustainable energy, and advocates on their winners’ behalf. For further information, including photos, films, and case studies on past winners, go to www.ashden.org. The Ashden Patron is HRH The Prince of Wales.