Clients: International Union of Railways (UIC)
Year: 2026
eftec team: Ian Dickie, Natalya Kharadi, Ally Couchman
Service Area: Ecosystem service valuation
Location: UK and Spain
Full report: ECOV4R Framework: Assessing and valuing ecosystem services in railway infrastructure
Image captures the links between the Natural Capital Approach and the ECOV4R Framework
Nature plays an important role in supporting railway infrastructure. Ecosystem services such as flood regulation, erosion control and natural cooling can help protect infrastructure from extreme rainfall, heatwaves and wildfires. As biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation and climate change increase these risks, railway organisations need practical ways to understand how nature supports their assets and operations. This can help them identify where investing in nature-based solutions can improve resilience and deliver wider benefits.
To support this need, the International Union of Railways (UIC) commissioned AtkinsRéalis and eftec to develop the Ecosystem Valuation for Railways (ECOV4R) Framework. Launched in March 2026, ECOV4R provides a repeatable, flexible process for assessing and valuing ecosystem services. It supports decision-making, Environmental Impact Assessments, sustainability reporting, and nature disclosures.
eftec led the development of the ECOV4R Framework, translating natural capital and ecosystem service assessment concepts into clear, practical guidance for railway organisations. This included defining the Framework’s typologies, aligning to international guidance and standards, baseline assessment, value transfer, and reporting and interpreting results.
A key strength of ECOV4R is its adaptability to different decision-making contexts, geographies, data availability and user needs. The Framework does not provide standardised values. Instead, it helps users understand when and how valuation evidence can support decision making, and how results should be interpreted within the context of each application.
AtkinsRéalis tested the Framework through two pilot case studies in the UK and Spain, with eftec providing advice and support on applying the Framework steps. Both case studies showed how nature-based solutions can strengthen railway resilience while also delivering measurable environmental and economic benefits.
eftec also supported capacity building for UIC members and the client team, helping users understand the Framework and how it can be applied in practice. A final webinar shared the approach with UIC members and wider organisations interested in ecosystem service assessment for rail infrastructure.
The framework is valuable for executives and practitioners to:
1. Unlock new value streams and future-proof assets.
2. Meet regulatory and stakeholder expectations for sustainability and resilience.
3. Lead the sector in innovative, evidence-based infrastructure management.
Looking forward, further applications beyond Europe would be valuable to test ECOV4R in different ecological, institutional, and socioeconomic settings.
The Framework, pilot case studies and webinar recording are available online.