Rail passengers might be advised to think twice about dawdling the next time they board a carriage, after a move by a train company to close doors more quickly in an effort to save money.

Rising fuel prices coupled with the stagnating economy have forced train operators to seek innovative ways of cutting costs. Now energy-saving measures that are seen usually in domestic households are being employed on the railways.

TransPennine Express has decided to shut its carriage doors after 30 seconds to preserve the air-conditioning in summer and the heat in winter.

“Sensors on new trains mean that the external train doors stay open for 30 seconds at a time,” said Nick Donovan, the engineering director at First TransPennine Express. “Before, they stayed open for minutes at a time. Now it means that we are not pumping air back out into the station environment. When the doors are about to shut, there is a warning sound.”

The company has instructed its drivers to switch off one of their three engines on steep downward gradients between Manchester and Leeds, rather like motorists who coast in neutral down hills. The fuel saving is enough diesel to power 1,000 family motors for a year.

“We are saving 7 per cent of diesel fuel doing this but our target is 10 per cent,” Mr Donovan said.

Mindful of the £600million annual fuel bill for passenger and freight trains across Britain's rail network, drivers are also being taught how to maintain speed at maximum fuel efficiency - and keep to the timetable.

Using simulators, drivers are advised how to achieve a “smooth” driving performance. Those who drive in a fuel-inefficient way, for example accelerating too quickly then braking hard, are sent on “eco-driving” courses.

Nick Coad, the group environment director at National Express, said: “At c2c [which runs London, Tilbury and Southend services], the introduction of regenerative braking has led to a 20 per cent reduction in electricity use.”

A pioneering concept, regenerative braking is gaining in popularity across the railways as companies grasp its significant energy and cost savings. Put simply, the energy lost by trains as they brake is fed back into the power system. At present, electric charges are based on relatively crude estimates of energy consumption per mile, so operators have no certainty that they are paying the right amount. Now Virgin and First Group are installing on-board meters.

Not every energy-saving measure is complex. Switching off lights and heating while trains are idle in sidings has reaped dividends and the installation of new, cleaner engines on high-speed train fleets has delivered fuel savings of 15 per cent.

Ian Papworth, the head of engineering at the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: “Fuel makes up to 10 per cent of a train operating company's costs. It is very significant but it's one of the few variables they can control.”

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