Going Green with Railway Travel to Save the Environment

Today, it is widely appreciated that most modes of mass transportation result in the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is the leading cause of global warming and climate change. For this reason, it is becoming increasingly important to find new ways to get to where you are going, without hurting the environment in the process. The best way to achieve this balance is undoubtedly by travelling via train.

Train travel is one of the cleanest and greenest modes of transportation around the world today.

This is because trains tend to consume much lower amounts of carbon, than other modes of transport such as the airplanes or cars. With increases in technological advances over the years, trains are now faster, lighter, and comfier - and most importantly, they are burning much cleaner as well. You can practically have your vacation while travelling by train, unlike traveling by plane which also creates three times as much CO2. And what’s more, aside from the green benefits of rail travel, you also get to enjoy the scenic routes as the landscapes go by.

Rail travel is the least polluting means of mass transportation anywhere in the world.

 Even when traveling over relatively shorter distances, a train which is filled to capacity is at minimum twice as energy efficient as a full car would be. This therefore means that the carbon cost per passenger per mile is greatly reduced, making rail travel the most eco-friendly travel option. It is good to note that even with the influx of low-cost budget short distance flights, more and more travelers are becoming aware of the eco-friendliness of rail travel. Trains carry relatively large numbers of passengers, at higher speeds and with fewer stops or hold ups than would cars or buses. For this reason, rail travel is the ideal mode of transport for medium to long distance journeys, especially if you need to get somewhere fast. The environmentally conscious traveler is therefore better off taking the train in order to reduce their own carbon footprints left on the planet.

There are trials underway in both Europe and Japan for the creation of hybrid high-speed train systems which will reduce carbon emission levels by half, as well as fuel costs by a fifth. A good example of the face of things to come is The Voyager, Britain’s first bio diesel passenger train which was launched by Virgin Trains of the UK. This train is fueled by 20% bio diesel which is derived from biological sources such as soybean, rapeseed and palm oils, to enable it to reduce carbon emissions without damaging its engine. There are further plans to convert

The Voyager to 100% bio diesel in the future, whose benefits can be compared to taking one hundred thousand vehicles off our roads. Some other user-friendly trains around the world include: the Grona Taget “Green Train” of Sweden, the Automotrice Grande Vitesse (AGV) of France, the AVE S103 of Spain, as well as the Mainline Evolution Series locomotive of China, which was built by General Electric.

By car on the train

Railway travel the advantages