Valuing Nature in Rail Infrastructure: Applying the new ECOV4R Framework

In this webinar, Marie-Claire Jalaguier from AtkinsRealis will discuss the Ecosystem Valuation for Railways Framework, developed in partnership with eftec, for valuing nature in rail infrastructure.

ECOV4R is a practical, scalable framework designed to support railway infrastructure managers, asset managers, and policymakers quantify, value, and integrate ecosystem services into rail infrastructure decision-making.

Developed for the International Union of Railways (UIC), ECOV4R enables the rail sector to:

• Bridge the gap between Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and business case development  by providing robust, auditable evidence of both positive and negative impacts.

• Demonstrate and monetise the societal and financial value of ecosystem services (e.g. flood mitigation,  carbon sequestration, biodiversity).

• Enhance climate resilience and operational reliability by leveraging nature-based solutions (NbS).

• Support compliance and leadership in sustainability, biodiversity net gain, and climate adaptation.

The Framework is applicable across project lifecycles – from planning and construction to operation, enhancement, and evaluation. It is applicable on both a local and landscape level and is adaptable to a range of ecological and operational contexts.

The session will explain the key steps of the ECOV4R Framework and demonstrate how the Framework was applied through two pilot studies. In England’s Evenlode catchment, ECOV4R was used to assess natural flood management measures across 3,900 hectares, identifying an estimated £59.2 million in net ecosystem-service benefits over 100 years. In Spain, it was applied to mitigation measures along a completed 16-kilometre high-speed rail section, identifying an estimated €2 million increase in ecosystem-service value over 100 years. The pilots illustrate how the framework can be adapted to different project stages, spatial scales and evidence bases, while also highlighting practical considerations including data availability, spatial scope, expert judgement and value transfer.