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Compare the carbon footprint per passenger-km of driving, taking the train, and flying. See which transport mode is greenest for your journey.
Trains produce 6–40 g CO2 per passenger-km (electric) or 35–60 g (diesel) — far less than cars (120–170 g solo, 30–43 g with 4 passengers) or flights (150–250 g domestic, 100–150 g long-haul economy). For most journeys under 800 km, trains are the greenest option by a wide margin.
136
kg CO2
271 g CO2/km
28
kg CO2
55 g CO2/km
123
kg CO2
246 g CO2/km
The carbon footprint of travel varies enormously by mode. Trains are consistently the lowest-carbon option, producing as little as 6 g CO2 per passenger-km on electric networks in Europe and India. Cars — especially when driven solo — produce 10–20x more emissions per passenger-km than trains. Flights are the most carbon-intensive for distances under 1,000 km, though for very long hauls the per-km figure drops due to the fuel efficiency of cruising altitude.
For solo travellers, flying is almost always more carbon-intensive per km than driving for domestic distances. However, for families of 3–4, driving together can be surprisingly efficient — splitting the car's emissions across passengers brings the per-person figure to 30–50 g/km, comparable to some flights. The critical factor is vehicle occupancy: a full car can sometimes beat a flight, but a solo driver almost never does.
Electric trains in Europe and parts of Asia are the standout winners. The Eurostar London–Paris route produces just 6 g CO2 per passenger-km, compared to 170+ g for the equivalent flight. Even diesel trains in the UK (35–60 g/km) significantly outperform both cars and flights. For journeys under 800 km, choosing the train over a flight can reduce your transport carbon footprint by 80–95%.
Covers practical follow-up questions readers often ask
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