Banning flights on UK routes with fast rail links ‘could cut flight emissions by third’ | Rail industry

34 comments
  1. The train should be a more attractive option every time for most domestic journeys. Even onto the continent as well. Journey times, fragmentation, reliability and price mean they aren’t. We really need to make trains better not give the train companies another reason to charge more for less.

  2. “Fast” is a bit of a strech aint it. I could probably walk in less time than the rail network can get me anywhere. Wont cost an arm and a dick either.

  3. I used to travel to Glasgow from southern England every month and had the choice of train or flying.

    Every single time I used the train the journey was free as I would be delayed for over an hour because the connection times were never met.

  4. Even as a bit of an eco-nut I know banning is not the right way atm, make all flying more expensive by taxing the fuel, even adding duty, but also do something about the state of rail travel?

  5. I do believe that should be true.

    But it should never be coming from people who are playing the “help us get rid of our competition” game.

  6. Sounds like they want to kill off competition to make people notice their strikes

    They’ll be attacking cycle paths that run alongside branch lines next

  7. “If domestic flights on routes with a rail alternative under 4.5 hours were banned,”

    The fact that the rail industry considers half a working day to be “fast” says more than enough about the rail industry.

  8. How about making airlines pay the same fuel duty as train operators for domestic flights? Even the electricity that train operators used is heavily taxed FFS! Back in 2020 it was 40% of the total cost of the electricity https://media.raildeliverygroup.com/news/make-polluters-pay-their-fair-share-say-rail-companies

    CO2 emissions per passenger per kilometre travelled are 41g for domestic rail and 254g for domestic flights. If air travel is x5 the emissions perhaps they should pay x5 as much tax?

    https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200218-climate-change-how-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions-when-flying

  9. Banning people from using both flights and rail and making them use a pony and cart will definitely cut emissions, but no one fucking wants to travel that way! Silly cunts.

  10. I went on the train to Aberdeen – it cost a fortune, someone was sick on my shoes, it took 9 hrs and my reserved seating was taken by someone else, the whole experience was deeply unpleasant.

    Do tell me again how we should use the trains more.

  11. They’ve noticed people have started to realise flying costs 1/5 the cost of getting the train and want to put a stop to that.

    Trains not being completely shit and overpriced would cut flight emissions.

  12. On a plane you have a seat guaranteed. Some routes on a train even reserving a seat does not guarantee it.
    My thanks to the muppet that refused to vacate a seat I reserved recently Newcastle to London.
    Train manager couldn’t be less helpful!

  13. They need to make trains affordable though it’s crazy that I can fly from London to Scotland for £20 but it would cost me about £200 by train

  14. What is weird in all of this britain does not contribute to the world’s emissions like india and china do but it’s always britain that gets attacked or told to do things but the real polluters are not even mentioned says it all

  15. Whoever came up with this must clearly live in the big cities. When it’s an hours drive to the airport (never mind the availability of flights), two hours by train that also includes connections. So regardless of wherever I want to go. I’m still going to end up driving anyway (which takes far too long since the road infrastructure is really bad)

  16. Making rail fare competitive with air fare might entice more people onto the trains without having to ban flights.

    Wild idea I know.

  17. This thread is a pretty good example of why we’re never going to fix climate change. Any slight inconvenience or suggestion people change their habits and they get angry

Leave a Reply