My contribution to a green RCG: energy-efficient driving of the loco

31. 03. 2021

Our 9,340 members of staff from 34 countries who work at the Rail Cargo Group provide environmentally friendly rail freight transport every day. However, our staff are also committed to protecting the climate directly at their place of work. In this series, we are putting the spotlight on members of our staff who are passionate about sustainability.

Bojan Košnik is a locomotive driver and driving instructor at Rail Cargo Carrier in Slovenia. In his daily work, he takes care to drive in a way that saves energy and avoids unnecessary CO2 emissions. However, as a teacher, he believes sustainability also means passing on his technological expertise and wealth of experience to the younger generations.

“Sustainability means a lot to me because we have to protect the natural world for the next generation; we aren’t the last batch of people who are meant to enjoy life on Planet Earth,” Bojan says.

He lives close to Lake Bohinj in the Upper Carniola province, which is one of the greenest areas in Slovenia. Protecting the climate is extremely important to him in his private and professional life, because it helps conserve the beauty of this region.

And how exactly does it work to save electricity?

As a locomotive driver, he can run train in an energy-efficient way that uses the least amount of electricity possible. When braking and switching off the engines, leftover electricity is fed back into the network, for example. This regained energy is then available for other trains in the area to use.

“To become more sustainable at work, we are reducing the costs of transporting the trains to the company and reducing the energy levels needed for manufacture;” Bosjan relays the sustainability measures being taken at the RCG. What’s more, he encourages more and more people to take the train. After all, “The more people commute to work by train, the smaller our carbon footprint will be.”