The effects of climate change are being felt around the world. The need for action is urgent, yet, unlike some European countries, the UK Government is still encouraging people to take domestic flights, rather than the train. In his Budget announced at the end of October, the UK Chancellor announced that Air Passenger Duty on domestic flights would be cut by almost half, to “bring people together across the UK”.
Domestic flights produce seven times more harmful greenhouse emissions than the equivalent train journey and many of the most popular UK routes, such as Manchester to London, Edinburgh to London, and Birmingham to Glasgow, can be travelled by train in less than five hours. At Campaign for Better Transport, we’ve called for a ban on these types of flights and for more to be done to promote rail as the greener alternative.
The need for speed
But aren’t flights necessary for some journeys? For busy businesspeople, the argument goes, sometimes the need for speed – to attend an important meeting on the other side of the country, for instance – means flying is the only option. We decided to put this to the test. I ‘raced’ my colleague and former transport minister, Norman Baker, from London to Glasgow where the UN Climate Conference COP26 took place in early November. We set off from London's Piccadilly Circus at 10:00am. I travelled by plane, hoping to arrive in time for lunch in George Square, Glasgow, and Norman caught the train, but would he get to Glasgow in time to catch last orders?
Whilst Norman's train journey was smooth and relaxing, I spent much of my journey queuing, trapped in a plane seat, and changing between modes. Astonishingly, I arrived at George Square in Glasgow just two minutes before Norman, proving that the plane journey is nowhere near as speedy as people may think. As my journey emitted seven times as much carbon as Norman's, a two-minute time saving isn’t justifiable.
Trains not planes
As the host of COP26, the UK and its government should be showing leadership for tackling climate change. The decision to cut Air Passenger Duty sends precisely the wrong message. Aviation is a climate disaster and efforts to significantly reduce its effects through technology and cleaner fuels are still decades away. We need to reduce emissions now and we need the UK Government to match its bold words on reaching net zero by 2050 with bold actions.
We have an extensive long-distance rail network with direct connections between most major cities. Our race proved that flying isn’t going to save you hours, but it will save you pounds. Too often the train journey is more expensive than the equivalent flight – and often more than twice as much. This isn’t right and is no way to encourage people to choose the greenest mode of travel. We know rail is the most sustainable way to travel but people’s environmental consciences alone are not enough to dissuade people from flying, we need more practical and financial incentives. The greenest modes of transport should be the cheapest.
We’re calling for a rail fare freeze next year to keep rail travel affordable and for several other short-term measures to make train tickets cheaper. In the long term we want to see the entire fares and ticketing system reformed to provide easier ways to pay, better value for money and cheaper tickets to boost passenger numbers. We also want to see aviation taxed fairly and mandatory emissions labelling on airline tickets so people can make more informed transport choices.
With the train such a wonderful, green alternative, the government should put all its weight behind promoting #trainNOTplane.