Do trains reduce air pollution?

We find that car and motorcycle use for shopping and leisure activities fell more sharply along lines with a larger increase in regional passenger trains. These results indicate that expansions of local passenger railways reduce air pollution due to substitution from cars and motorcycles to trains.



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If we take an overall view of the transport sector, 71% of transportation related carbon emissions come from road users, whereas only 1.8% of emissions stem from rail travel. So in absolute terms, trains are responsible for a lot less emissions than cars.

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“When you take into account the production of railroad equipment and tracks, all of that is very carbon intensive as well,” says Hamilton. “Take the entire picture and trains are actually more polluting than the road buses, even though buses all run with dirty diesel fuel.”

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However, as an energy researcher, my decision was motivated by the fact that trains, whether for cargo or passengers, pollute much less than airplanes, sometimes by as much as 73%, and they are more easily electrified than planes.

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If you can't walk or cycle, then public transport is usually your best option. Trains are particularly low-carbon ways to travel. Taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances would cut your emissions by around 80%. Using a train instead of a domestic flight would reduce your emissions by around 86%.

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Finally, the plane is the most polluting means of transport and the one that generates the most greenhouse emissions.

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According to EPA data, freight railroads account for just 0.5% of total U.S. GHG emissions and just 1.7% of transportation-related GHG emissions.

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The two most important types of pollutants connected with railway transport are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals.

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If you can't walk or cycle, then public transport is usually your best option. Trains are particularly low-carbon ways to travel. Taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances would cut your emissions by around 80%. Using a train instead of a domestic flight would reduce your emissions by around 86%.

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Planes Remain A Problematic Means Of Transport Air traffic represents less than 2-3% of the global CO2 emissions whereas road traffic accounts for around 10% of these direct emissions. Still, planes remain among the most polluting means of transport, together with cars.

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Compared to other popular forms of travel, such as cars, ships, buses, and planes, trains are one of the safest forms of transportation in the United States.

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Aviation is responsible for between 2pc and 3pc of global carbon emissions. And Ms Thunberg continues to refuse to fly because of the impact on the environment.

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Trains offer greater flexibility at each stage of the journey, making family train travel easier and less stressful than flying. Children can move around more freely than on a plane, and you'll have the space to pack home comforts.

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Rail emissions per passenger kilometre are currently on average around one-fifth those of air travel. Emissions from electrified passenger rail are even lower, particularly when powered by renewables or nuclear power.

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Rail is the most sustainable mode of transport. Increasing its share of passengers and freight is critical to achieving net-zero goals. No form of mass transport has more potential to aid in the fight against global warming than rail.

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