Responsible train vacations

Tourism, that industry that always has an appetite for growth, presently accounts for 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation a more than significant contributor. Of this, air travel and car travel are very real carbon culprits*. Car usage doesn’t get quite the same attention as plane usage, however, road users in 2015 accounted for 72.6 per cent of transport-related CO2 emissions worldwide, aviation 10.9 per cent and rail 4.2 per cent**. Looking at the big global picture of all emissions, not just transport, flying is currently only 2 per cent of world CO2 emissions, but with radiating forces (kerosene being burnt at altitude etc) and the fact that greenhouse gases also include NOX gases, water and soot, the estimate is that aviation contributes to a significantly higher percentage of global greenhouse gases***.

Or, take a simple case study such as going from London to Paris on a return trip. Taking the plane emits, on average, 122.1 kg of CO2 per passenger. The same trip by train is 15.0 kg of CO2. It is also worth noting that taking the car, however, results in 48.4 CO2 being emitted per passenger. If you pack the car full of passengers, however, the figures lower significantly. ****

With rail vacations, the fact is that most travelers still start or end their journey by plane, and then choosing to traverse their chosen destination by rail. This certainly is great news in terms of keeping polluting cars off the roads, but let’s not kid ourselves that taking the train on vacation is always the green stairway to heaven. It also depends on the fuel being used by the trains in question, with an electric train emitting between 20 per cent and 35 per cent less carbon per passenger mile than a diesel train, for example.

What makes rail travel a responsible and also a truly relaxing way to travel, is the way in which it immediately connects you with not only the place, but the people. You are engaging with commuters and families on board the train and not hiding behind the wheel of a car, or indeed a gated resort. Rail vacations are a glorious antithesis of cruise vacations, in fact. Less polluting, they use local food suppliers, your stops are for much longer than just a morning, you stay in locally owned accommodation when you are not sleeping on board the train, and you actually get to see the landscapes. Appreciate its contours, culture and communities. In other words, you actually get that sense of arriving in a place, because you have seen the landscape that preceded it. And, even better, if you read up on the history of the rail route as well, you can gain a good understanding of the region’s history too. And from the minute you step off the train, if you travel with a responsible tourism provider, your money also stays in the community you are visiting, as you eat in local restaurants, drink in local pubs and shop in local boutiques.

*Independent article on tourism, transport, climate change and carbon emissions
** Railway Handbook 2017: Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions – published by the International Energy Agency and International Union of Railways
*** World Energy Council
**** Source: Ecopassenger.org. This figure is based on 1.5 passengers traveling in a car, which is the European average for a car doing this journey.

Terina Keene, Chief Executive at the charity Railway Children:
"Tourists should never give money to child beggars they meet abroad. Organised begging is one of the most visible forms of human trafficking, especially around railway stations in countries like India, and it's largely financed and enabled by good-hearted people who just want to help.

But there are better ways to give. Established non-governmental organisations can ensure that charitable donations go to effective, sustainable projects, and they know how to implement positive change in minimally disruptive ways."