There’s no doubt that cars are a staple in our society. They’re a necessary part of many people’s lives, whether commuting to work or taking the kids to school. But with the rising concerns about climate change and the environment, people are starting to rethink their reliance on trains vs. cars.
Trains have been around for centuries and are one of the world’s most popular modes of transportation. In recent years, there’s been a resurgence in interest in train travel as people look for more eco-friendly and sustainable options. But are trains more efficient than cars?
Let’s find out more in this blog.
Trains vs Cars:
If we talk about what to choose between trains vs cars. For this, we have to keep a lot of things in mind. If we discuss trains in various aspects; as we already said that we are familiar with trains for a long time. Trains are much safer than cars due to constant speed and minimal stops. And trains are contributing a lot to make a better and sustainable environment, including lowest carbon emissions of all transportation means except for the bicycles. In European countries trains are almost fully electrified, even some of the highly developed countries are planning to shift towards the idea of using biofuels. This will definitely open new gates of progression for rail transportation.
On the other hand, if we discuss cars, this mode of transportation has always been an easy and faster one. You just want to go out to the newly opened cafe in your neighborhood or you have to attend a kitty party at your friend’s house whatever the concern is. Just take your car out of the garage and enjoy the journey. But wait before enjoying it, have you considered that you are among the major sources of carbon emissions while driving your car. Yes, you heard it right. Unfortunately, cars including other road traffic are contributing around 80% of total carbon emissions. Which is quite shocking and sad at the same time. Because cars are the leading way of transportation all over the world.
To make a positive impact certain car manufacturer jumped in and introduced the idea of electrical cars like we all heard about TESLA and a lot of others are working to bring the most sustainable cars to the world. But this idea of becoming a global mission would take time.
So, by observing certain circumstances regarding trains vs cars, if we have to choose, are trains more eco-friendly than cars? Answer must be yes, but let’s find out why?
Why Are Trains More Eco-friendly Than Cars?
Emissions from traveling are a significant cause of a high carbon footprint on the environment. Numerous factors can influence these emissions, including location, weather, number of attendees, and others. Two of the most common sources of traveling need to be compared are trains vs cars.
Rail transport is more eco-friendly than cars. Greenhouse gas emissions per km on railway transport are 80% less than on cars. In some countries, only 3% of all gas emissions come from trains. Cycling And walking are the only methods that are more eco-friendly than trains. There are many reasons why travel by train is way safer than any other means.
1. Trains are Eco Friendly
In various ways, taking the train is a way more sustainable and eco-friendly way of transportation than cars. Trains use 30% less energy per passenger mile than cars and planes. Around the world, train operators are constantly working on ways to make traveling by train highly sustainable.
Taking the train is always the greenest option since it produces less noise and consumes less energy.
2. Trains are Greener
Almost 80% of trains in developed countries run on electric traction. Usually, any country’s electricity mix (the combination of primary energies used to produce electricity) is low in carbon; rail transport emits far less CO2 than equivalent road or air travel.
Rail is responsible for less than 1% of transport-related emissions, while only 10% of passengers and goods are transported by train.
3. Steady Process
Trains have steadily reduced greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption in recent years while using more renewable energy sources. The battery-powered, hybrid, and hydrogen trains contribute to further decarbonizing rail transport. Rail network adaptations are necessary due to these alternatives.
4. Strong link in multimodal transport
There is no doubt that rail plays a key role in end-to-end sustainable mobility by connecting regional and international centers by transferring between different modes of transportation.
5. Less air pollution
Compared to cars, the railways are less polluting to the environment. Rail transport is the cleanest method, far ahead of road transport which is responsible for almost 90% of all the air pollution caused by road traffic.
The Benefits of Using Trains
So, let’s talk about the benefits of the railway and why we consider it the best way to travel worldwide.
Not just regarding being eco-friendly, trains have a lot of other benefits than cars. Let’s have a look at those:
1. Cheaper
As many people know, car travel sometimes may sound quite expensive compared to the train. Taking the train can cut down the costs by a lot. If you take a night train, you cut down on your travel and accommodation expenses.
2. No Turbulence
One of the best reasons on this list is probably this point. While taking the train, you don’t have to live through any horrible turbulence as compared to traveling via car. The train goes from point A to point B at a smooth speed making the journey much more relaxing.
3. Scenery
While traveling by car, you might be surrounded by magical landscapes but can’t fully enjoy them because you also need to pay attention to the road. With the train, you can walk around and take the best picture possible of your surroundings.
4. More space
Seats in trains are the kinds of seat planes used to have 50 years ago. Luckily you can still experience them. Unlike air or car travel, you have more space, and you can easily walk around to stretch your legs.
5. Turns transport into an Experience
Taking the train is an experience unlike any other mode of transportation. You see routes that you sometimes wouldn’t have seen any other way while relaxing the whole journey.
Trains are a Key Part of Sustainable Transportation
As the cleanest and greenest high-volume transport, rail has an essential role in creating sustainable lifestyles and economies. While representing 8% of global passenger and freight transport activity (in passenger km/tonne-km), railway represents only 2% of the transport sector emissions. Global GreenHouse gas emissions from transport continue to rise, accounting for 14% of all emissions in 2018. Rail is bucking this trend and has been the only mode to reduce its emissions, down by 2% between 2000 and 2018. Transport demand is expected to double at the same time we must decarbonize before 2050. Today’s challenges can only be met with rail as the backbone of a seamlessly connected sustainable mobility system. Rail is a central pillar of transformative climate action in transport. It is the fastest and most cost-efficient way to decarbonize people’s daily mobility and logistics chains.
How can we make trains even more eco-friendly?
There have been a lot of discussions recently about making more eco-friendly trains. This is a worthwhile goal. There are a few ways to make trains more eco-friendly; let’s discuss those.
One way to make trains more eco-friendly is to use cleaner energy sources to power them. For example, trains can be powered by electricity.
Another option is to use biofuels, which are made from plant materials and can be less polluting than traditional fossil fuels.
We can also make eco-friendly trains by making them more efficient. This can be done by improving the design of the trains so that they use less energy or by using new technologies that make them better working while consuming few resources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, what we found after knowing about trains vs cars; is that trains are a more eco-friendly option than cars. They emit fewer greenhouse gasses and other pollutants and use less energy overall. Additionally, trains have the potential to be powered by renewable energy sources, further reducing their environmental impact. Switching to trains for long-distance travel can help reduce our individual and collective carbon footprints.