There is nothing more environmentally friendly than a train

RDG, which represents the UK rail industry, carried out an in-depth analysis combining train types, occupancy and different journey scenarios. This is evidenced by the results some eco-train journeys emit only one-fifteenth the CO2 emissions per person compared to petrol or diesel cars. On average, in the top 100 business travel routes, the use of a diesel or gasoline car gives nine times more carbon than a train. Even when driving a hybrid car, emissions are four times higher than in the train, and almost two and a half times higher for an electric car. The RDG study presents specific examples to illustrate these findings. For example, a journey from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross emits 116kg of CO2 in a diesel carriage, 31.8kg in a battery carriage and just 12.7kg per person on the train.

As The Guardian notes, the comparison is based on official British government data on average company car emissions by distance traveled. Emissions from battery electric vehicles are highly dependent on where the electricity comes from and are likely to decrease as the use of renewable energy sources increases.

Greener, but also more expensive

Jacqueline Starr, managing director of RDG, emphasizes that the data provides companies with the most accurate emissions measurements for the 100 most common business journeys by rail. It encourages the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the choice of train for travel between cities. “We all have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint, and the data we’ve published shows that rail is the greenest choice for travel between our cities.”she stated, and then added: It’s also often faster, but now we need to make sure it’s also cheaper“. This RDG study challenges existing perceptions of the environmental superiority of electric vehicles over trains. Although business travel by train has declined since the pandemic, emphasizes the need to make the train more accessible to encourage its use and help reduce transport emissions.

The transition to more environmentally friendly modes of movement must be assessed comprehensively, taking into account both emissions and associated costs.

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