Planes vs. Trains: UK Rail Fare Hikes Could Derail Climate Goals
Photo Credit: A train heading to Manchester Airport. Train fares could rise in Britain as inflation rates increase. Umair Dingmar
Skift Take
Across Europe, governments are pushing travelers to choose trains over planes — but when rail tickets cost far more than budget airline seats, that’s a tough sell.
Inflation in the United Kingdom rose to 3.8% in July, prompting concerns that rail fares will climb sharply next year. The Campaign for Better Transport, a passenger lobby group, expects fares in England to rise by as much as 5.8%.
For climate goals, the risk is that flying will be more attractive than rail. Rail travel is widely regarded as a key part of the UK’s strategy to cut aviation emissions, which are projected to become one of the UK’s largest sources of greenhouse gasses.
But if fares rise faster than inflation, rail’s cost advantage all but disappears. It is often cheaper to fly from cities like London to Manchester, even with a stopover in Spain, than to take the train.
“We are asking for a freeze, people don’t realize that train passengers numbers have flatlined. If we are
