ALTERNATIVES TO AIR TRAVEL

D&T RESEARCH



Ultimately, you are never going to be able to take air travel away from people now they have got it. It is simply too convenient. The only real alternative currently is high speed rail. In many cases rail travel is clunky, slow, and expensive. I don’t believe it has to be this way and there are many countries that have adopted high speed rail travel in a relatively successful manner.


Japanese Shinkansen Bullet Train 
Current Routes
Japan is one of the best examples of this with the cross-country bullet trains. They operate with 1/8th of the CO2 emissions per seat when compared to travel on a Boeing 777 airliner. While they are generally slower than flights, they are often more convenient in many cases. Train stations can reach the centre of cities and there is no requirement for security and boarding times. You simply show up on time and get onboard. Trains are often more comfortable than aircraft with more room and you also don’t have to worry about turbulence.

The main issue with rail is the infrastructure and costs associated with it. In the UK rail travel has become somewhat of a joke. When I travelled to London at the start of this year, I was far cheaper to fly compared to getting the train. We also haven’t adopted high speed rail across the country and show no signs of this changing with the recent cancellation of HS2, so rail times are significantly longer than flights. It doesn’t have to be this way though. Hopefully future governments in the UK and across the world bring in more strict regulation that could allow for more efficient rail travel.


Trenitalia Frecciarossa Current Routes 
When Italy introduced the Trenitalia high speed rail across the country in 2008 it was quickly adopted by the Italian people. So much so that it contributed to the demise of Alitalia, a domestic airliner in the country that has struggled to compete with rail. I’ve actually travelled on one of these Trenitalia trains between Milan and Rome. It was a quick, efficient and comfortable journey and I turned up at the station just 10 minutes before departure. I got from centre to centre in just a few hours. Having travelled around much of Europe on an interrailing trip it is clear that this would require collaberation between a variety of governments to ensure it was adopted across the board. I also got a train from Cologne to Glasgow that took upwards of 15 hours, as many countries still offer clunky and slow domestic rail services. If we really want to cut emissions it is clear this is the answer. Then aircraft would only be required for travel across bodies of water on longer haul flights.


Comparison of Emissions of Different Travel Options
Many people would be put off rail travel simply because of how inefficient it can sometimes be in terms of speed. Even in Japan it doesn’t travel as fast as an airliner would. Again, future technology that has already been implemented in places like China and South Korea could see rail travel get even more efficient with the introduction of the Maglev trains. This has a top speed of 431 kilometres per hour (268 mph) but operates at a speed slower than this currently at 300 kilometres per hour (186mph).


Shanghai Maglev Train
Unfortunately, this train does only run from the airport to the centre of city currently. It would require large amount of infrastructure to allow for this cross country, but it is certainly possible. Japan is leading the charge in this again as you would expect planning to launch a route between Nagoya and Tokyo by 2027. Japan’s prototypes have also broken more land speed rail records at 603 kilometres per hour (375mph) in 2015. The final service is expected to run at a more reasonable 483 kilometres per hour (300mph). This has since been slightly delayed over concerns about constructing the tunnels as much of its network will be in underground to avoid disruption, but it is still going ahead and will likely be built before the end of the decade. Obviously, there is a massive cost to this, expected to be around 85 billion dollars. Japan have made rail travel work for them, so this is a worthwhile investment. Other countries simply need to follow in their footsteps. 

Surprisingly, California in the US, often known for their lack of rail infrastructure and love of domestic air travel, are also investing in a Maglev route. They plan to operate at a slightly slower speed but with a significantly longer network. So, if the Americans are doing it, who traditionally do not invest much in rail infrastructure, then why can’t the rest of the world. If not for monetary reasons, then at least for ethical and sustainability reasons. There is always push back about the land that needs to be altered to make way for these trains. I personally believe this is worthwhile despite this as it is essentially the lesser of two evils. We live in a society where people must travel long distances, so we might as well do it as sustainably as possible. Japan’s maglev plans currently plan to have essentially all of the track’s underground. This is mostly because of the hilly terrain in the country but it shows its possible. 


Summary on Current Maglev Developments



In summary I think in an ideal world I would like to be able to get a train to anywhere in mainland Europe. Then for longer haul travel I hope to be hopping on a hydrogen powered more sustainable flight with a blended wing and radically evolved air frame. As we continue to use air travel more and more, I think it’s important to look at alternatives to try and reduce our reliance as soon as possible, as ultimately this will see the biggest reduction in emissions. In the run up to 2035 just think about how many new aircraft will be delivered that still run on traditional fuel. With an average service life of 30 years before retirement, you can see how the issue doesn’t simply get fixed when these new planes enter the market. They will likely not be rapidly adopted as well as it will be costly to train pilots and transfer over infrastructure to this hydrogen way of flying.

We really need to push for a departure from flights right now unless we absolutely need them. Obviously, this is easier said than done and I doubt we would see something like this anytime in the near future. Hopefully governments and companies finally decide to do the right thing and collaborate enough to make this a viable option. We simply cannot allow air travel to increase at the rate it currently is. Alternatives are basically essential to this in my opinion.


USEFUL LINKS



ARTICLE COMPARING HIGH SPEED RAIL AND AIR TRAVEL ACROSS JAPAN
https://wanderwisdom.com/travel-destinations/Getting-Around-Japan-Planes-vs-Bullet-Trains 

INFORMATION OF JAPANS HIGH SPEED RAIL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/company/environment/contribution.html#:~:text=Compared%20to%20an%20aircraft%20(B777,traveling%20between%20Tokyo%20and%20Osaka.

CNN ARTICLE ON HOW ITALIAN TRENITALIA HIGH SPEED RAIL KILLED ALITALIA
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/italy-high-speed-trains-alitalia/index.html

INFORMATION ON JAPANESE MAGLEV DEVELOPMENT
https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/maglev-bullet-train

INFORMATION ON CALIFORNIAN MAGLEV DEVELOPMENT
https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/california/?cf-view