Partners across the rail industry have launched a new campaign to promote the ways that train travel can combat climate change.
The campaign, titled A Greener Future, the campaign, is targeting the younger generation and outlines the ways that journeys on the railway can contribute positively to the environment. Some of the significant impacts highlighted are:
- One journey on the train, rather than the car, saves the same amount of carbon as if you were to boil the kettle 455 times.
- By making the switch from car to train, you can save enough carbon to power your phone for eight years.
- Five times less carbon emissions are produced by the trains than if the same journey was to be made by car.
The Rail Delivery Group collaborated with the Campaign for Better Transport on the creation of the campaign, with Rail Delivery Group CEO, Jacqueline Starr, commenting:
“Travelling by train is a simple way to make a greener choice. When looking at the sustainability of different modes of transport our railways are hard to beat, and it’s one of the great benefits of making rail your first choice. We are committed to helping our railways to grow, with more people taking the train over other modes of transport we can all play our part, one journey at a time.”
Industries across the UK are working to reduce their carbon emissions, with the government setting a net zero target of 2050. The rail industry is no different, with a focus being on making the network more sustainable through electrification, renewable energy, and biodiversity.
As part of the drive to decarbonise train travel, Network Rail were the first rail organisation in the world to set ambitious carbon emission reduction targets. Martin Frobisher OBE, Network Rail Engineering and Safety Director, said:
“Rail is one of the greenest forms of transport, and we as an industry are working hard to make it even greener, by investing in electrification, renewable energy, and taking care of the rich variety of wildlife and plants that live along the thousands of miles of land that surrounds the railway.
“We hope that this campaign will inspire young people that travelling by rail is part of the solution. That just one journey by train, rather than by car, can make a huge difference in helping protect the planet.”
Image credit: iStock and Network Rail
