Steam, Responsibility and the Road to Net Zero

Steam, Responsibility and the Road to Net Zero at the K&ESR

Heritage railways like the Kent & East Sussex Railway sit at a unique crossroads: built in the age of coal, yet now facing the responsibilities of a carbon-conscious world. We don’t shy away from this. In fact, we embrace it as part of our living story — one rooted in tradition, but open to change.

Steam power, for us, is not merely nostalgia. It is a working, functional expression of engineering history — a reminder of how Britain once moved. But we also know that the world has changed. Climate breakdown is real, and every sector — heritage included — must play its part in the journey to Net Zero.

The K&ESR is committed to decarbonising in ways that make sense for our railway, our community, and our values. We're taking real steps:

Choosing smaller engines, lighter loads, and shorter runs for certain events — cutting fuel use without cutting quality.
Rethinking operations through efficient rostering to avoid unnecessary mileage or excessive firing hours.
Promoting sustainable travel for visitors, including car-sharing schemes, accessible public transport information, and greener event logistics.
Installing low-energy lighting and trialling on-site solar for back-of-house operations.
Reducing print, single-use materials, and improving waste sorting across all stations.

But perhaps most importantly, we are telling the truth about coal. Through interpretation and education, we explain why steam still uses it, how we’re reducing our reliance on it, and where the sector is heading. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail has made it clear: heritage railways must be part of the Net Zero conversation — not outside it. We agree. We support ongoing research into alternative fuels like bio-coal, and we’re watching closely as experimental blends and synthetic coals emerge. When these become viable, we’ll be ready.

We are also developing a localised carbon-offset programme tied to biodiversity — hedgerow planting, habitat restoration, and pollinator support within our own corridor. These are not gimmicks, but meaningful acts that connect our operations to the land we travel through.

We know we won’t solve climate change alone. But we believe we can demonstrate something powerful: that even a coal-fired railway, steeped in history, can act with integrity, curiosity, and responsibility — not preserving the past at the cost of the future, but honouring both.

The Culture of Reuse, Regeneration, and Skill-Building at the K&ESR

Heritage railways like the Kent & East Sussex Railway are, by their very nature, leaders in the circular economy — even if we’ve rarely used that term. Almost everything we do is rooted in reuse, repair, and regeneration.

Every coach, locomotive, signal box and length of track at K&ESR is something that might otherwise have been scrapped, abandoned, or forgotten. But instead, through collective effort, we’ve given it new life and purpose. The Dwarfs of Steam Gala was a perfect example: the guest engines had all been rescued from industrial obscurity or scrapyard fates, and now star in an event that educates, entertains, and inspires. Their continued operation is itself a triumph of sustainable reuse.

Our passenger carriages are often over 100 years old. They’ve been reupholstered, refitted, and repaired countless times — not discarded. Our locomotives have parts remanufactured or refurbished with skill and ingenuity. And even our infrastructure is a model of reuse: our rails include sections formerly used on London Transport’s Underground — iron that once carried millions of commuters beneath the capital now brings joy to families in the Weald.

This ethos extends to our buildings, tools, and even the nuts and bolts we recover, re-thread, or repurpose. Nothing is wasted. In a disposable age, that is a quietly radical act.

But reuse for us is about more than materials — it’s about preserving and passing on traditional craft skills, from metalworking to woodcarving, mechanical engineering to painting and signwriting. We are keeping alive the skills of the past not in theory but in practice — creating living, working heritage. Apprentices, young volunteers, and career changers work alongside older craftspeople, learning by doing. Every day is an education.

This intergenerational collaboration is a defining feature of our railway. Older volunteers share decades of knowledge; younger ones bring new ideas and energy. Through events, we create safe, supportive environments for young people to gain real-world experience, confidence, and transferable skills.

Volunteering also plays a major role in mental health and wellbeing. We hear regularly from people — particularly retirees, those recovering from illness, or young people struggling with confidence — that the railway has given them purpose, belonging, and structure. You can’t put that on a balance sheet, but its value is immense.

At a time when society is questioning how we consume, throw away, and disconnect, heritage railways offer a working alternative: not a museum frozen in time, but a regenerative system of repair, reuse, resilience, and renewal — built on community, pride, and purpose.

Biodiversity: Protecting the Living Landscape

The Kent & East Sussex Railway doesn’t just run through the countryside — it’s part of it. Our 10½-mile line weaves through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, across meadows, woodlands, and ancient hedgerows. For over 120 years, trains have shared this space with birds, bees, bats and butterflies. Today, we see it as our duty to care for that shared environment.

Heritage railways are often narrow strips of green running through farmed or developed land — accidental wildlife corridors. At K&ESR, we’re turning that into something intentional.

We’ve begun:

Managing embankments and verges not just for visibility, but for wildflowers and pollinators, with no-mow and late-cut regimes in key areas.
Planting and restoring native hedgerows, especially where gaps have opened through historic land use.
Installing and monitoring bird and bat boxes, working with local conservation volunteers to record sightings and habitat success.
Removing invasive plant species and encouraging the return of traditional Wealden flora.
Partnering with local landowners to explore joined-up habitat planning, so our green corridor links meaningfully to the wider ecological network.

Our vision is modest but meaningful: not just a railway that passes through nature, but one that actively supports it.

We are also weaving biodiversity into the visitor experience. New signage, nature trails, and interpretation help people notice what they might once have missed — the sweet song of a nightingale, the buzz of a late summer meadow, or the wild garlic under the trees at Rolvenden. These moments create a deeper kind of connection.

Our upcoming carbon-offset and habitat plan (in development for 2026) will give passengers the chance to directly support rewilding efforts — right alongside the tracks.

Because steam, for all its power and history, is only part of the story. The birdsong and the bees belong here too.

Place-Based Tourism: A Railway Rooted in Community

The Kent & East Sussex Railway was never built for glamour — it was built to serve. Opened in 1900 as England’s original light railway, it was designed to connect rural communities, carry market produce, livestock and schoolchildren, and link everyday life across the Weald. That original purpose still shapes us.

We don’t just operate in this community — we are this community. Rebuilt and run by local volunteers since the 1960s, K&ESR is one of Kent’s great grassroots heritage projects. Thousands of people have given their time, talent, and passion to bring it back to life — not just as a railway, but as a shared local treasure.

Today, we continue to honour that legacy through our place-based approach to tourism:

Working with local suppliers wherever possible — Kentish brewers, bakers, cheesemakers, and craft producers all feature at our events.
Providing a welcoming platform for local groups — from classic car clubs to youth bands, charity fundraisers to model railway clubs.
Telling the stories of the region, not just the trains — from hop-picking and maritime trade to farming and wartime evacuation.
Supporting local education, offering school visits, work experience placements, and volunteer pathways for young people.
Reinvesting in the local economy, helping draw tourism to nearby villages, B&Bs, pubs, and attractions.

We also measure success not just in ticket sales, but in local pride. When the people of Tenterden, Rolvenden, Wittersham and Bodiam bring their families, recommend us to visitors, or come to volunteer, we know we’re doing something right.

Place-based tourism isn’t about exploiting a location — it’s about enriching it. We want the railway to be a source of joy, pride, and opportunity for the people who live here, and a warm welcome for those who visit.

Because while our trains carry people, our story carries the place.

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