Taking the train with GTR for business is up to 12 times greener than driving

Taking the train on business with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is up to 12 times better for the environment than driving, according to analysis by the Rail Delivery Group.

Journeys between London and 10 stations across the GTR network (Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink) reveal a startling saving on carbon emissions compared with a car:

Between the following stations and London*:

• Bedford - up to 4.4 times fewer emissions
• Brighton - up to 7.4 times fewer emissions
• East Croydon - up to 7.5 times fewer emissions
• Gatwick - up to 9.4 times fewer emissions
• Hove - up to 12 times fewer emissions
• Huntingdon - up to 4.2 times fewer emissions
• Peterborough - up to 3.5 times fewer emissions
• South Croydon - up to 5 times fewer emissions
• St Albans - up to 5.4 times fewer emissions
• Stevenage - up to 8.7 times fewer emissions

* This is the number of times difference between average rail and petrol/diesel car emissions, expressed in kgCO₂e per person travelling. See full details in notes to editors.

Jason Brooker, Head of Environment and Sustainability at GTR, said: “This is the first time that detailed rail data – including journey distance, occupancy and carriage layout – has been combined by the industry to showcase the environmental benefits of rail travel.

“We’ve known for a long time that trains are the most sustainable form of public transport but never been able to express it in such detail.

“This data will eventually be extended to all passenger types and added to national rail enquiries to show everyone how much carbon they’re saving when planning a journey.

“I hope it will help everyone who cares about the climate crisis to make a more sustainable choice.”

On average across the top 100 business UK travel routes, taking the train for business travel produces nine times less carbon than going by diesel or petrol car, more than four times less carbon than using a plug-in hybrid electric car and almost two-and-a-half times less carbon than using a battery electric car.

The expectation is that businesses will choose rail over road if they have the figures to demonstrate how this contributes to their sustainability targets.

Jacqueline Starr, CEO at Rail Delivery Group, said: “We all have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint, and the data that we have published reveals that rail is the green choice for travel between our towns and cities.

“We know that businesses need accurate and reliable carbon emission data they can trust. From today, businesses will be able to see the most accurate measure of rail business travel emissions available for the 100 most popular business journeys across the UK. This will allow travellers to make greener travel choices by providing reliable carbon data when they book their next train ticket.”

Clive Wratten, CEO at the Business Travel Association, said: “We’ve heard loud and clear from our members and the business travel community that consistency in carbon measurement is an imperative.

“This initiative from RDG on behalf of the whole rail industry has the potential to provide clarity and a robust green message to all parts of business travel.”

Sarah Ockendon, Procurement Manager at the John Lewis Partnership, said:

“This will empower us to make better informed decisions about rail as a sustainable business travel option.

“The Green Travel Pledge will offer a reliable evidence base to demonstrate rail’s role in helping us to reach our CO₂sustainability goals.”

Ends

Notes to editors

You can view carbon emissions for the 10 GTR business routes here.

This data has been developed by Rail Delivery Group – in partnership with Thrust Carbon, 3Squared, Black Box Partnerships and the wider rail industry – as part of the rail industry’s Green Travel Pledge – a commitment to provide businesses with detailed, accurate and reliable data on the carbon emissions of rail journeys across Britain to help highlight rail’s environmental benefits.

You can find out more at www.raildeliverygroup.com/gtp.

How has the comparison between rail and car been calculated?

Green Travel Pledge data uses the following data categories for week-day rail travel: engine type, fuel type (note all the trains on these GTR routes are electric), journey distance, number of carriages, travel class, occupancy and timetable.

Car comparison uses the Government’s Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors for a single-occupancy business travel car.

Please see RDG’s website and FAQs for more information.

What is Green Travel Pledge?

Green Travel Pledge is the rail industry’s commitment to provide detailed, accurate and reliable data on the carbon emissions of rail journeys so that:

• The sustainability benefits of travelling by train become clearer and even more compelling;
• Businesses and their travellers are empowered to make more informed choices;
• The business travel sector can make data on rail journey emissions easier to access and use at the point of sale;
• Businesses can accurately measure the emissions of their rail travel to track their progress against sustainability goals.

The pledge will help encourage businesses to modal shift away from car and plane to stimulate additional business journeys by train.

Green Travel Pledge is a rail industry initiative being led by the Rail Delivery Group, creating a recognised industry benchmark for carbon emissions.

RDG’s collaborative partners:

Black Box Partnerships

Travel research & insights partner

Black Box Partnerships continues to lead engagement across the business travel and technology community ensuring corporates, travel management companies, industry associations, online booking tools and rail technology systems remain engaged and aligned to Green Travel Pledge and wider rail industry initiatives.

3Squared

Collaborative partner (rail data)

Founded in 2002, Sheffield based 3Squared specialises in the development of software applications for clients across the rail sector, delivering innovative technological solutions under the RailSmart brand. 3Squared part of the Velociti Group.

The team at 3Squared utilised their decades of rail data experience to ensure the use of the most reliable and accurate data sets available to calculate carbon emissions.

Thrust Carbon

Collaborative partner (carbon methodology)

Thrust Carbon  mission is driving the travel industry to become effortlessly green. They are the market leading solution for travel emissions reporting, reduction, and behaviour change. Their expertise on the project provides a robust methodology for calculating carbon emissions.