Air travel may have had its day, as more and more move towards an eco-friendly alternative.
There’s no denying that since the turn of the millennium, air travel has been on the rise. In fact, in 2019 alone there were over four and a half million recorded airline passengers around the globe; more than double the number back in 2004. But while travel by plane has become cheaper and more accessible to the average person, we live in a society that is becoming more aware of the environmental impacts of our actions. As a result, frequent travellers and those hoping to reduce their carbon footprint are turning their heads to alternative methods, and international travel via train is becoming ever more appealing.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), travelling by train can demand half the fuel per passenger needed for the exact same airborne trip. Especially when it comes to short-haul flights, for example those of less than 300 miles, air travel produces the most emissions per mile. This is because fuel consumption is at its highest during the beginning and end of the journey.
When you consider the rise of environmental activism in recent years, this information has never been more relevant. Last year, an international movement founded by Greta Thunberg saw an estimated 7.6 million young people protesting for action on climate change. The year before that, Extinction Rebellion was founded by Roger Hallam and Gail Bradbrook, with the aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience to gain traction for government action against climate change.
Elena and Ruben co-own an ethical travel blog called Naked Travellers, and frequently discuss the importance of sustainability. They said: “We try to live a sustainable lifestyle, for example avoiding plastic, wearing sustainable clothing and eating mainly vegetarian and vegan.”
Rachael Matthews is a geography graduate from the University of Liverpool, who has specialised in environmental change. She said: “As a geographer, I’m very concerned about the planet. Three years of physical geography really brings awareness of just how bad for the planet flying everywhere is.”
Luckily, the short haul trips that are particularly damaging by air, especially those within Europe, are easily accessible by train. Elena and Ruben explained: “We have taken the train on several occasions when travelling inside Europe. We think train is a great option, especially as we try to always choose the most sustainable way possible.”
Rachael has travelled around middle and Eastern Europe extensively by rail, visiting countries such as Hungary, Croatia, and Poland. Talking about her most recent trip, she said: “We were able to cover more countries within a set amount of time, without having to fly home which is just not good for the environment.”
Margherita Ragg is a travel writer, and runs the blog The Crowded Planet. She said: “For years I’ve been avoiding non-essential plane travel. Over the years I have done four Interrails, travelling around Europe by train for up to two months, and once I travelled all the way to Georgia using a mix of train and bus.” She added: “I love that on a train, the journey itself becomes an experience rather than just a way of moving from A to B. I have taken trains over planes several times, for environmental reasons mostly, and also just because I wanted to have some fun!”
A smaller carbon footprint isn’t the only benefit of taking the train, either. Elena and Ruben say that although the train usually takes longer than a flight, there are ways to make good use of this time. “We like to work from the train, as we find it more comfortable. Another benefit is that you can bring your own food and water on a train ride.”
Rachael remembers the rail journey between Croatia and Austria, and said: "It was just stunning. The scenery was just incredible, which is something you don’t get out of a plane.” She added: “We took sleeper trains, which saved us money on hostels because we’d sleep the night, get there and then have the day.”
Nienke Serdijin is a student travel blogger, and enjoyed taking the train to Switzerland, as an
alternative to flying. She said: “The journey was gorgeous and I definitely look forward to taking a trip like that again.”
For those on a budget, train travel can save you a lot of money. Interrail passes start at €185 and allow five entire days of travel by rail. What’s more, there are extra discounts for students and young people. Added bonuses include not paying extra for your luggage as you would on an aeroplane, and fewer restrictions on items such as toiletries, liquids and food, so you won’t have to buy them when you reach your destination.
To add to this, Nienke said: “The train usually gets you from city centre to city centre and most airports are quite a bit outside of the city centre, which means you still have to take some form of public transportation or a taxi to get to your accommodation.”
Sandy Moller is the Senior Consultant at Integrated Transport Planning in the UK. He said: “There’s a massive challenge that culturally, although the general public subscribe to being more eco-conscious, they will only go so far.”
While looking to the future, he believes governments have just as much responsibility as travellers, to move to a more sustainable transport sector. He said: “They have a crucial role in setting up policy and putting in provisions to ensure that there is a chance of pushing towards a greener, cleaner transport sector.”
Margherita said: “Unfortunately sometimes travelling by train is a very expensive and time consuming endeavour. I think travellers and the environment would both benefit if train travel became more affordable and convenient.”
Elena and Ruben agreed: “In order to give people an incentive for thinking eco when it comes to travelling, prices for these choices need to become more affordable for everybody. It will be difficult to convince people of taking a train or an electric bus if it costs a fortune.”