Comparison of the environmental impact from Aircraft and High-Speed Train operation

Panel: Panel 3. Land use, transportation and mobility

Author:
Moshe Givoni, University College London

Abstract

Many studies consider the shift of air services from the aircraft to the High-Speed Train (HST) on short haul routes as a way to reduce the negative impact of aircraft operation on the environment. The purpose of this paper is to test the above statement by performing an empirical comparison between the two modes of transport. The analysis compares two options of travel on the London to Paris route. One option is to use the HST from central London to central Paris, and the other is to travel by aircraft, which includes the journey from (to) the city centre to (from) the airport. The comparison of the two options of travel is made in terms of emission of gases, the environmental impact from the emission, and the social cost of the environmental impact. Two categories will be looked at: the effect on air pollution and on climate change. The results do not point out a clear advantage to one mode over the other in terms of the effect on air pollution, but there is advantage to operating HST in terms of the effect on climate change. The main conclusion from the analysis is that there is still insufficient scientific understanding and certainty to allow for a robust and full environmental comparison between the modes, especially when the comparison is in monetary values. This means that substituting trains for planes on environmental grounds cannot be automatically justified.