Planes, Trains, and Automobiles…Which is Greener?

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Another good bit from our friends at the Economist regarding a study that claims that planes are “greener” than trains in the U.S. when one looks at the full lifecycle. “Hogwash” is what they say.

Comparisons like these are difficult to understand (and difficult to do, I’m sure) and as with all studies one must look at both the methodology and the motivations of the funders.

This is a large country and so few people are likely to cross it by train — though I did circumnavigate the country by train once and found it quite comfortable once one got west of Chicago. The real comparisons come in travel between Boston and New York, New York and Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the like. I’m a former Shuttle rat but now I always take the Amtrak Acela to New York from Boston as doing so eliminates the need to drive to the airport, sit around after going through security (is my Dunkin’ Donuts purchase included in the plane vs. train comparison?), and get a taxi from LGA to Manhattan at the other end. The time traveling is more productive than flying and, in total, is comparable when one factors in the driving to/from airports. The same can be said of the Eurostar between London and Paris.

I sincerely hope that we get high speed rail in the U.S. sometime soon. It is far overdue. In the meantime, I remain convinced that trains are the more environmentally responsible choice. What are your thoughts and experiences?