Calculate and reduce the CO2 emissions of your train journey

We don't have a magic wand, but we do have the next best thing!

When it comes to CO2 emissions, the best thing to do is to 'Avoid, Reduce, and Mitigate'. To find out how to reduce your footprint with a few tips, go to the bottom of this page! To mitigate your residual emissions, discover our carbon credits certified by Bureau Veritas:

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Nouic Carbon Credit €72
1 carbon credit
Nouïc Forest
Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
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Orø-Margrete Carbon Credit €75
1 carbon credit
Orø-Margrete Forest
Sjælland, Denmark
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Sessile Oak €14.40
Age: 0 to 2 years old
Peyrat de Bellac Forest
Haute-Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

NB: The values given here are estimates based on averages for informational purposes and not a precise measure of your actual emissions, which can depend on other factors. 1 carbon credit corresponds to the avoidance or capture of 1 tonne of CO2 equivalent.

How we calculate the carbon footprint of a train journey

First off, pat yourself on the back for taking the train instead of a car or plane. While they're not 100% pollutant free, they're certainly on the right track!

Next add in your start station and destination, including any stops along the way, to estimate the amount of fuel required.

If this is a frequent journey, like a commute, you can add that into the calculator to give you your footprint over a certain time, rather than just one day.

Next we factor in the train type to adjust the fuel usage estimate, based on how big the train is, how many people share the emissions and what it runs on.

Tips for reducing your train-related emissions

train-tips-one
Take public transport

Do you really need to drive to the station? Hop on a bus or cycle instead - most stations have plenty of bike parking space.

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Bring a packed lunch

Buying food and drink creates more plastic and waste - it's probably more expensive too! Make your own sandwich. Fill your own flask.

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Enjoy the scenery

Trains are great for sitting back and watching the world go by. Put down your phone, save some energy and take it all in.

train-tips-four
Connect to WiFi

If you do need to get online, reduce the load on your mobile network by hooking your device up to the train's WiFi.

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Choose modern trains

Do you research train operators before your trip? Travel on modern, more energy-efficient trains whenever you can.

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Avoid printing tickets

Your roof rack, box or bike carrier increases your vehicle’s emissions, so only use them when you have to.

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Download your tickets

Mobile apps are great, but if you want to go a step further, download your ticket before you travel to avoid using your mobile network.

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Avoid short journeys

All those short journeys add up, especially if it's your daily commute. Can you sometimes walk or cycle instead?

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Miss your connection

Journeys with lots of connections are time-consuming and inefficient. Close to where you need to go? Hop off and walk the rest.

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Tell your friends and get social

Trains are great for catching up with your pals! Spread the word about the benefits of train travel and get your friends on board.

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Go for the long haul

Tempted to jump on a plane for that slightly longer journey? Try a sleeper train instead, get a good night's sleep and enjoy the adventure.

How to earn a clean conscience

Offsetting is such a problematic term. At EcoTree, we aim to help people practically and financially towards a greener future. Individually, we'll never be able to completely offset or remove our footprint on the planet. We can't buy our way out of positive action going forward. But together, we can make a cleaner step in the right direction.
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See our carbon manifesto
Coagou EcoTree

Got carbon footprint questions

We're here on the other end of the internet, happy to answer questions about calculating carbon footprints or our growing movement.

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