The UK needs to increase the amount it travels by rail by at least 30% in the next decade if it is to hit the 2050 net zero goals set by the Climate Change Committee, says rail ticketing firm Trainline.
As a result, the business is calling for collective action to get more people to travel by rail, as part of an initiative it is calling Project 30%.
The initiative coincides with a Trainline insights report which reveals two-thirds of people want to make greener choices, with 58% considering switching to the train for sustainability reasons.
But Trainline says the impact of travel in reducing an individual’s carbon footprint remains under-appreciated, with the public mistakenly identifying other sustainability measures like recycling, switching to renewable energy, and turning off light switches as more impactful.
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The new report calls for collective action to inspire behaviour change by showing the impact of switching even one journey.
For example, Trainline says if all those who considered switching to the train swapped one 200-mile journey each year – the equivalent of travelling London-Birmingham – that alone would deliver one-third of the 30% goal.
Trainline CEO Jody Ford said: “Project 30% is a collective mission, and its success is in our collective interest. The answer to achieving this goal lies in collective action.
“Together we can help close the existing gap between the emissions cuts required and existing policy ambitions, by enabling and reinforcing positive behavioural change in the way people travel.
“When we talk about attracting 30% more people to rail, that isn’t just a challenge the rail industry needs to take on, it’s a challenge for broader society. How do we get 30% more day trippers to take the train? How do we get 30% more business travellers to take the train? How do we get 30% more sports fans, festival goers and shoppers to take the train?
“Addressing these questions is where I see the future of ‘I Came by Train’ as a campaigning coalition, that brings together tech, rail, policymakers, NGOs and community groups to act together to support people to accelerate their own individual positive changes.”
In 2023, Trainline customers choosing to use trains instead of petrol cars saved the same amount of CO2 that 77.4 million trees absorb in a year – which would create a forest the size of greater London.
Earlier this year, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated Trainline’s targets to reach net zero by 2040.
1 Comment. Leave new
An interesting article as this is a self fulfilling prophecy. People do not use trains due to cost, having to stand, wait around, train times unsuitable and potentially not getting a seat and having to stand, yet trainlines probably need to increase their costs for viability. Why should people want to walk past their car and experience all of the above. Train companies need to address the fundamental basis first!