Trains Are Cleaner Than Planes, Right?
www.nytimes.com
The surprising carbon footprint of an Amtrak trip across America.

The big difference is of course that you can electrify trains, as has happened in much of Europe and Asia, but not for most of Amtrak

  • federalreverse-old@feddit.de
    601·
    8 months ago

    tldr: The article is about a specific case that involves old trains + lots of space per passenger + very long distance + diesel engine.

    • silence7@slrpnk.netOPM
      263·
      8 months ago

      Yeah, which is what you get in the US. Very different in Europe, where distances are shorter, passengers are packed tightly, and the trains are often electrified.

      • mondoman712@lemmy.ml
        22·
        8 months ago

        Just to note, this doesn’t apply to every journey, only the really long distance ones.

        Amtrak is still the more climate-friendly option for the vast majority of travelers, who on average travel 300 to 400 miles, said Olivia Irvin, a spokeswoman for the rail company. (That is, not many people are crazy enough to go cross-country by train.) A 2022 Department of Transportation study found that traveling by train from Los Angeles to San Diego generated less than half the emissions, per passenger, of flying, or driving. For Boston to New York, an electrified route, taking the train generated less than a fifth the emissions of flying or driving.