{"title":"Can rail reduce British aviation emissions?","authors":"Malcolm Morgan , Zia Wadud , Sally Cairns","doi":"10.1016/j.trd.2024.104513","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We analyse UK airport origin–destination data from 1990 to 2021 to understand the extent to which a modal shift to rail may reduce aviation emissions. We find that 41 % of UK aviation passengers travel on routes that can be done by rail in less than 24 h. However, these passengers account for only 14 % of UK aviation emissions because long-haul flights contribute the majority of emissions. Some popular destinations (e.g. Spanish Islands) are inaccessible by rail and may be suitable for destination switching. We also find rapid growth in flights to international hub airports used for connecting journeys. This has implications for carbon accounting, suggesting that a significant and growing proportion of UK residents’ aviation emissions are being excluded from national accounts. Finally, the paper recommends some interventions that might encourage a modal shift to rail.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23277,"journal":{"name":"Transportation Research Part D-transport and Environment","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 104513"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Transportation Research Part D-transport and Environment","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136192092400470X","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We analyse UK airport origin–destination data from 1990 to 2021 to understand the extent to which a modal shift to rail may reduce aviation emissions. We find that 41 % of UK aviation passengers travel on routes that can be done by rail in less than 24 h. However, these passengers account for only 14 % of UK aviation emissions because long-haul flights contribute the majority of emissions. Some popular destinations (e.g. Spanish Islands) are inaccessible by rail and may be suitable for destination switching. We also find rapid growth in flights to international hub airports used for connecting journeys. This has implications for carbon accounting, suggesting that a significant and growing proportion of UK residents’ aviation emissions are being excluded from national accounts. Finally, the paper recommends some interventions that might encourage a modal shift to rail.
期刊介绍:
Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment focuses on original research exploring the environmental impacts of transportation, policy responses to these impacts, and their implications for transportation system design, planning, and management. The journal comprehensively covers the interaction between transportation and the environment, ranging from local effects on specific geographical areas to global implications such as natural resource depletion and atmospheric pollution.
We welcome research papers across all transportation modes, including maritime, air, and land transportation, assessing their environmental impacts broadly. Papers addressing both mobile aspects and transportation infrastructure are considered. The journal prioritizes empirical findings and policy responses of regulatory, planning, technical, or fiscal nature. Articles are policy-driven, accessible, and applicable to readers from diverse disciplines, emphasizing relevance and practicality. We encourage interdisciplinary submissions and welcome contributions from economically developing and advanced countries alike, reflecting our international orientation.