All aboard towards a cheaper, greener future for GB Railfreight

120 EVs delivered

127,000 trees saved

255 tonnes of CO2 saved

Employee retention improved

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GB Railfreight at a glance

GB Railfreight has a big ambition: to transport goods efficiently and sustainably across the country. Its leadership team saw a chance to reduce its environmental impact while giving employees a benefit they really want and that saves them save money.

🛤️ Industry: Railway

📍 Operation and Training Centre: Peterborough

👷‍♂️ Employees: 1400+ employees

Living the mission.

As a company that’s always put its employees first, GB Railfreight was searching for a way to give back to them by making life cheaper, easier and more sustainable. “We tried a non-EV salary sacrifice scheme before, but it didn't really work,” explains Sarah Whurr, Head of Sustainability. “It was time to reinvigorate.”

Its leaders challenged themselves to find a benefit that wasn’t just useful to their employees, but also helped them achieve their goal of operating more sustainably. “We wanted to reduce our scope three emissions, which include business travel and commuting,” adds Sarah.

That put cars at the top of the hit list. “Most of our CO2 emissions come from our diesel locomotives,” explains Karl Goulding-Davis, Chief Financial Officer. “We are aiming to reduce that in order to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

This wasn’t just about protecting the planet; it was also about attracting and retaining new staff, who are increasingly favouring companies with strong social and environmental missions. “We wanted to appeal to some of our younger members of staff, who have the planet at heart,” says Sarah.

Simple setup, hassle-free admin

The team got to work exploring options, and approached HSBC, their bank, for recommendations. HSBC immediately recommended Octopus EV for our simplicity and staff-friendly approach. But Railfreight’s team wanted to make sure it had scanned the market for the very best scheme.

“We whittled it down to three suppliers,” recalls Sarah. “We put together a pros and cons list and we measured every supplier up against each other. Octopus EV came out on top!”

In the end, it came down to how simple our scheme is. Employees lease an EV through salary sacrifice, taking payments from their gross salary to benefit from tax and National Insurance savings. The package includes insurance, repairs, servicing, tyres, and a choice between a home charger installation or 4,000 free miles of Electroverse credit (Europe’s largest public charging network). 

The setup and maintenance of the scheme "was really simple,” says Sarah. “We were given a dedicated customer account manager who has been with us ever since. He talked us through every element – from set up and billing to invoicing – and even brought our payroll team on board.”

The team also loved how the scheme gave employees access to the world of Octopus, with opportunities to continue their journey into sustainable living through green tariffs and even smart home tech. “One of the benefits that made us choose Octopus EV was how renewable energy would play out for our staff, including through tariffs such as Intelligent Octopus Go,” explains Sarah.

A benefit staff actually want.

GB Railfreight employees jumped at the chance to join the scheme, making a huge impact on their bank balances and the company’s net zero targets. “The scheme has been very successful and is clearly providing a benefit to employees,” beams Karl.

Over 120 cars are now on the road, saving around 255 tonnes of CO2. That’s the same as planting 127,000 trees, or cancelling 4,811 one-way flights from London to Paris. 

And it’s not just carbon that’s being saved. Employees are already seeing a huge reduction in their monthly driving costs. “It’s a really good deal,” reflects Amy Ambrose, HR Business Partner who’s signed up to the scheme. “You can see how much you're saving on your payslip, and for us it's a lot of money.” 

The ability to charge at home has opened up a whole new world of savings and convenience for employees. “With the home charger fitting, I think we'll be saving anywhere in the region of £300 to £350 a month,” adds Nicholas James, Rail Operator. “We really wanted a car like this – so dreams can come true!”

It’s also proving to be a great way to retain and attract talent, says Karl. “The support and flexible benefits the company provides help to maintain talent. It’s also a catalyst to actually get people into the business.”

The leadership team also sees the scheme as part of a wider culture of support. “It works well within our wellbeing package,” confirms Sarah. “And it’s a really important part of that, because it’s affordable.”

This extra bit of love is already being felt by employees. “I think every company should have this salary sacrifice scheme,” says Nick. “It's good for the employees and it's a very good incentive to keep you there at the job.”

So, would GB Railfreight recommend the scheme to other companies? “Yes, without a shadow of a doubt,” smiles Sarah. “I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.”