New research has found that it is both cheaper and quicker to use trains instead of planes on 10 domestic routes – prompting suggestions that the flights should be cancelled
Ten polluting domestic flights should be scrapped and cheaper, quicker train travel promoted, according to a travel technology company.
Opting for trains over planes on thee ten highlighted routes could drastically cut carbon emissions, saving more than 724,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. This reduction would be akin to planting 34 million trees annually or taking 430,464 cars off the road for a year. Research conducted by SilverRail highlighted 10 domestic flight routes that could easily be replaced with rail journeys, offering comparable or even better travel times and often lower prices.
Train travel tends to be much greener than air travel. Flying on one particular UK route – from Edinburgh to London – can emit as much as 13 times more green house gas than going on the train.
SilverRail highlighted some typical prices and times for some of the busiest rail and plane routes in the UK – it may be possible to find cheaper fares and to do the journey quicker.
A flight from Gatwick to Edinburgh, including security and check-in time, totals 315 minutes and costs around £70, while the train journey takes 297 minutes and costs £66. On the popular route from Heathrow to Edinburgh, flying takes 340 minutes and costs £153, whereas the train journey takes 297 minutes and costs £66.
Similarly, the journey from Heathrow to Glasgow totals 295 minutes by air and costs £106, while the train journey takes 310 minutes and costs £63. Other routes with similar findings include flights from Heathrow to Newcastle, which take 297 minutes and cost £147 compared to a 228-minute train journey costing just £45, and Luton to Edinburgh, where the train option is £5 cheaper and only 13 minutes longer than flying.
Brett Ring, SilverRail’s vice president of commercial, underlined the benefits of choosing trains over planes for domestic trips in the UK: “In a world urgently calling for environmental change, it’s surprising how often rail travel is disregarded for domestic journeys within the UK.”
He added that while there are cases where taking the train might take longer, awareness of certain routes that easily could be done by train should be raised to allow travellers to make more environmentally friendly choices.
“There are of course some routes where rail would take considerably longer and we’re not suggesting passengers inconvenience themselves in those cases. However, what we can do is make the public aware of the existence of 10 specific flight routes that could be effortlessly swapped for rail journeys, allowing them to make an informed decision from there in terms of how they choose to travel,” he said.
Mr Ring also commented on the need for improvements in the rail sector, urging for better reliability, infrastructure, and passenger services.
By coordinating efforts across the industry, he believes it’s possible to “generate better awareness” around the perks of railways. This comes as more passengers are starting to favour railway travel over flying, particularly after the introduction of the Lumo service between London and Edinburgh in 2021, which saw rail travel’s share jump from 35% to 50%.
Full list of routes with times and prices, according to SilverRail
Gatwick to Edinburgh
– Air: 315 minutes, £70
– Rail: 297 minutes, £66
Heathrow to Edinburgh
– Air: 340 minutes, £153
– Rail: 297 minutes, £66
Heathrow to Glasgow
– Air: 295 minutes, £106
– Rail: 310 minutes, £63
Heathrow to Newcastle
– Air: 297 minutes, £147
– Rail: 228 minutes, £45
Heathrow to Manchester
– Air: 278 minutes, £94
– Rail: 173 minutes, £31
Luton to Edinburgh
– Air: 310 minutes, £61
– Rail: 297 minutes, £66
Stansted to Edinburgh
– Air: 319 minutes, £45
– Rail: 297 minutes, £66
Gatwick to Glasgow
– Air: 300 minutes, £71
– Rail: 310 minutes, £63
Luton to Glasgow
– Air: 295 minutes, £64
– Rail: 310 minutes, £63
Stansted to Glasgow
– Air: 299 minutes, £74
– Rail: 310 minutes, £63
