Sketch of some documents (default image for news

Rail 10 times better than air in London-Paris CO2 comparison

A comparison of rail and air on the London-Paris route has found train journeys generate about 10 times less carbon dioxide per passenger than flying.

The research commissioned by Eurostar, the rail company running services on the London-Paris and London-Brussels routes through the Channel Tunnel, found the average CO2 emissions per passenger on a flight between London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle were 122kg. By contrast, emissions on a train journey from London Waterloo to Paris Gare du Nord were 17kg assuming the electricity comes from averagely efficient power stations, and 11kg when the stretches powered by nuclear energy were taken into account.

Eurostar says it commissioned the research because of requests for information from business passengers whose companies wanted them to reduce carbon emissions on work trips.

This news story is taken from the October 2006 edition of T&E Bulletin.