Rail has long been, and remains, the least environmentally damaging form of powered transport. But advances in the automotive sector have significantly reduced harmful emissions from road vehicles in the past decade and some commentators are beginning to speculate that ‘rail is now more environmentally polluting than the car’.

However these comments are based on very selective and simplistic use of data. This booklet lays out the key facts on current performance and future developments. Statistics on rail’s current atmospheric emissions performance and the relative impact of rail in comparison with other modes show rail is still ahead.Nonetheless the UK rail industry is committed to further improving its environmental performance to
ensure that rail remains at the forefront of the effort to minimise the impact of increasing transport use and provide the most sustainable transport solution.

Paul Kirk
Chairman,The Railway Forum
Keith Ludeman
Chairman,The Association of Train Operating Companies

The Railway Forum
12 Grosvenor Place, London,SW1X 7HH
Tel: 020 7259 6543 Fax: 020 7259 6544
www.railwayforum.com
The Association of Train Operating Companies
40 Bernard Street, London,WC1N 1BY
Tel: 020 7841 8020 Fax: 020 7841 8263
www.atoc.org