Eurostar generates ten times less CO2 than flying the same routes At Eurostar being green is important so we’ve commissioned some detailed research on the subject. Our findings show that passengers who fly between London, Paris and Brussels generate ten times more emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) than travellers who go by rail.

Trip/Mode	kg CO2 per passenger trip (return)	gCO2 per passenger km
London-Paris (return)
Short-haul air (average) Heathrow	122	168
Eurostar	10.9	11.0
London-Brussels (return)
Short-haul air (average) Heathrow	160	219
Short-haul air (average) Gatwick	222	322
Eurostar	18.3	24.3

 

The research was carried out by a consortium of Paul Watkiss Associates and AEA Technology Environment. It uses detailed data on electricity supplies, power station emissions and transmission losses; Eurostar and airline load factors; and the range of aircraft and engine types and emissions.

The figures are the most detailed ever produced and are based on actual passenger numbers, exact distances of rail and air routes, actual aircraft types in use on different routes, and the mix of electricity sources used by Eurostar trains.

The completion of the UK’s first high-speed line in autumn 2007, with 186mph trains cutting journey times between London, Paris and Brussels by 20 minutes, will make the environmental advantages of Eurostar even more attractive to passengers.

The new line from St Pancras International will plug the UK into the growing high-speed rail network across the continent, further boosting train travel as an attractive option for business and leisure journeys.

The research also shows that travelling by high-speed rail will generate even less CO₂ per passenger in future years, due to increased supplies of renewable energy and UK policies to reduce CO₂ emissions.