Mar
11
Green transport
Category: Camping, Environment, Politics |
2 Comments |
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14. The train is the most economical transport mode in terms of energy consumption per person transported.
True On the Paris-Marseille route, consumption in kep1 / passenger is 32.2 for the airplane, 28.8 for the car, and 9.6 for the TGV.
I find this interesting. This summer, we shall be taking the car from Preston to southern Bavaria, a distance of roughly 900 miles each way. There will be three of us in the car.
I suppose the difference is that most trains will travel whether I use them or not. In general, my car will only travel when I’m inside it. (That’s not so much a high-tech anti-theft system as the fact that Kate has her own, more stylish vehicle.)
However, this does suggest that the mathematics of train pricing is way out. If we travel from Preston to Leigh-on-Sea by train this Easter it will cost us £110.25 for the Saver Return using a Family Railcard.
If I travel on my own, by train, it will cost me £73 for the Saver Return. Or around £62 to take the car. If I fill the car with people, it will cost me around £62. Surely it would make sense to charge me less to take the train than the car.
I’m typing this on a computer powered by renewable energy, watching renewably-powered television but I cannot afford to travel by train. Sorry world.
Of course it gets worse, from an economic viewpoint (the kind used to decide that congestion charging is a good idea) you are meant to take into account the time taken to complete your journey. Even assigning minimum wage to the cost of the journey time leaves a lot of non-direct train services in trouble. Preston to Southend is pretty much killed by the fact it is really three[1] journeys (Preston-London/cross London/London-Southend) with associated connection delays.
[1] and more if you take into account getting to/from the station at either end.
Actually, it took just over a tank of fuel to get from Preston to Southend and back, including a trip to Colchester Zoo. I suppose the 62 pound estimate was not far off.
The economic viewpoint is relevant to my commute: I can get to work in 15 minutes by car or two hours by bus and train. If I cycle to the station, am allowed to take my bike on the train and cycle at the other end it’s only an hour. But it still costs roughly twice as much.