27 March 2008
Take the train not the plane and help the fight against climate change!
Influential Westminster MPs' group, rail industry and environment groups challenge business, Government, institutions and public to slash UK flights
The All-party Parliamentary Sustainable Aviation Group will today launch and support a major campaign stressing the significant environmental and productivity benefits of rail travel over flying, challenging its targets to adopt the tough new Greater London Authority travel policy:
"No air travel, except in exceptional circumstances, to destinations in mainland Britain and to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Rail should be the preferred mode for European trips within a 6-hour rail door-to-door travel time from City Hall for GLA staff."
Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the Sustainable Aviation Group's Chair, said:
"We need to stop talking and start taking real and immediate action to cut air travel around the UK and go by rail instead. We will be asking a range of household-name businesses and institutions - including MPs and environment groups! - to start to reduce their air travel related CO2 emissions. We will monitor and report back on our efforts in May and June. If we are serious about getting to grips with climate change, changing behaviour is vital and that's what we are aiming to do."
Ken Livingstone, The Mayor of London, announced the GLA policy on March 13th 2008, saying:
"Air travel produces two to three times more carbon emissions than making the same trip by rail, so it is right that we take steps to reduce flights wherever possible in order to help tackle climate change. I hope that organisations across London will use this report to swap plane for train where possible."
The Sustainable Aviation Group event on Thursday 27th March at the House of Lords sees an authoritative study from TRANSform Scotland, 'The Railways Mean Business', highlighting what the train has to offer for travel between Scotland and England.
Paul Tetlaw, Chair of TRANSform Scotland, said:
"Most people will be aware of the environmental benefits of rail but this report shows that using the train offers significant productivity gains for business.
"For too long, people have focused on flight time as compared to time on the train as the means of comparison. This is entirely misleading as it does not reflect overall journey time. Crucially, it fails to recognise the very real benefits of being able to work on a train journey as opposed to the fragmented and disjointed nature of a journey by plane.
"We also found that railways could be even better and we make a series of recommendations to further improve business travellers' experience when travelling by rail."
Tony Collins, Chief Executive of Virgin Trains, said:
"This comprehensive report gives overwhelming evidence that the train offers more useful travel time, affordable prices and environmental benefits. That is why Virgin Trains has beaten off air competition from Liverpool, taken the vast majority of air/rail traffic from Manchester to London and is now making significant inroads into the Glasgow-London market."
Chris Austin, Director of Public Policy at the Association of Train Operating Companies, will run through their 'Energy and Emissions Statement - 2006/7'.
Chris Austin said:
"Our research shows that rail travel has sharply reduced its carbon footprint, down 5% in one year and 25% in the last ten years. Regenerative braking,, where electric trains return energy to the power supply, is now active on some parts of the network, with savings of up to 20%.. New diesel engines for High Speed Trains have reduced their fuel consumption by 15%. The quickest way to move towards meeting emissions targets is for more people to switch to rail."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. Launch event "Trains not planes - why rail is the clear Business and Environmental winner". Time & date: 11.00-12.00 Thursday, March 27th 2008. Venue: Committee Room 4, Committee Corridor, House of Lords, Westminster, London, SW1A 2LW. Please call Cait Weston on 0207 248 2333 for your invitation and more details.
2. Details of the All-party Parliamentary Sustainable Aviation Group can be found here: <http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/memi474.htm>. The AEF provides administrative and research support to the Sustainable Aviation Group
3. GLA transport policy details can be found here: <http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/climate-change/aviation.jsp>
4. TRANSform Scotland campaigns on sustainable transport issues. 'The Railways Mean Business' report was supported by Virgin Trains. Go to <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/info/news/2007/2007-11-21.html>
5. See Virgin Trains press release 'Trains offer business people the solution to growing airport delays on central Scotland/London routes' 23rd November 2007 - <http://212.104.140.178/mailer.cfm?page=28Gu8H2dk>
6. For more information on ATOC's 'Energy and Emissions Statement 2006/7' go to: <http://www.atoc-comms.org/admin/userfiles/Energy%20&%20Emissions%20Statement%20-%20web%20version.pdf>
Contacts
For more information, media interviews, other contacts and background please call Jeff Gazzard on 07748 197412 or 01565 653561.
Aviation Environment Federation Broken Wharf House 2 Broken Wharf LONDON EC4V 3DT Tel: 0207 248 2228.
END OF NEWS RELEASE