Rail Travel Carbon Calculator
Our rail travel carbon footprint calculator is a tool that estimates the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from an individual's train travel. The purpose of this tool is to help people understand their environmental impact when choosing train travel and make more informed decisions regarding their transportation choices.
Note: This calculator uses Passenger km factors which are used when single passengers are travelling by means of mass transport (such as by train) and the aim is to calculate emissions on a single-person basis, not account for the whole vehicle.
Carbon Footprint Facts about your Rail Journey
Energy Efficiency: Train travel is generally more energy-efficient than car or air travel. On average, a diesel train in the UK emits 44g of CO2 per passenger-kilometre, compared to 158g for cars and 254g for domestic flights.
Commuting Impact: A daily commute of 20 miles each way by car creates about 2.7 tonnes of CO2 each year, while the same commute by train creates about 0.7 tonnes of CO2, assuming a typical occupancy rate.
Electrification Impact: The UK government has plans to decarbonise rail travel by 2040. The switch from diesel to electric trains will play a large role in achieving this target, reducing CO2 emissions from rail travel by up to 60%.
