During a recent Junior Church session, whilst exploring the theme of Creationtide, the young people were told it was better to go by train than to fly – one of them asked why. It is a really good question. Why? The answers are more complicated than expected so here goes for an attempt that is understandable for young people!
We are told that going by train is more sustainable than travelling by both car or plane. This is true to a point – as long as the train is powered by electricity AND that electricity is generated by sustainable means (than means not coal, gas or potentially nuclear). If you travel by tram, trolleybus or electric bus in Zurich all these are powered by sustainably generated electricity.
Flying is quicker – isn’t it? Well factor in flying time, time to reach an airport, check in time of 2 to 3 hours beforehand, time to go though security and passports and at the other end security and getting bags, then flying for less than 3 hours really isn’t worth it. France has banned internal flights less than 2.5 hours as it is actually quicker by train. Sometimes a short flight is needed to connect to a much longer flight.
Using a car uses (mostly) petrol or diesel fuel with most trips carrying only one person. Public transport on the other hand is better for the environment and emissions because the number of people able to be carried by one vehicle (whether it is a tram, a train or even a plane) is higher. Thus, the emissions per passenger kilometre are better. Talking about electric vehicles, think about the batteries – most now use a metal Lithium which, when mined, damages the environment. When the battery is worn out (a life of about 7 years) what do we do with it – can we recycle it? New types of battery are being developed that will not need to use precious metals which will be a huge step forward.
But it is not just emissions and other environmental considerations that need to be taken into account. There is a limited amount of road space available in our cities and our countryside. Good practice now says that building new roads or additional lanes is bad because more road space attracts even more cars – better use of existing road space is the way forward. Current trends favour changing to hybrid or electric cars, then autonomous cars. But does this help solve the congestion problem? No, the same number of cars/vehicles will still be there.
Cities will only improve with a reduction in the number of private cars being used and an increase in active travel (walking and cycling) and public transport. These types of transport use less road space and are kinder to the environment – and more fun!
Actually, could the problem be solved better by not travelling so much at all and using digital means of communication?
For our young people who are interested in this topic, transport planning is a worthwhile career for people with many skills. It may be something to explore on National Futures Day, or Zukunftstag on the 14 November 2024.
As our Chaplain’s spouse, Mark Sellin is a very active and supportive member of St Andrew’s. In his working life, Mark is a Transport Planner with more than 35 years of experience, specialising in public transport planning and operations encompassing bus, tram, priority measures passenger information and essential infrastructure.
Connect with Mark over LinkedIn or talk to him at church.