The scale of CO2 reduction achieved on this corridor is remarkable. Between 2005 and 2015, when Virgin Trains worked with industry and Government to transform the rail service between Glasgow and London, the shift from air to rail saved a level of carbon equivalent to taking 145,000 cars off the road for a year or driving around the world 44,000 times. On the east coast route, Virgin Trains has announced ambitious plans to achieve a 50% share of the air/rail market between Edinburgh and London by 2023. This is forecast to achieve a similar level of CO2 reduction, equivalent to driving around the M25 Motorway 9.3 million times.

These carbon savings are all the more remarkable when considered against the fact that the overall air/rail travel market between Central Scotland and London is growing. So while far more people are now travelling between Glasgow and London than a decade ago, overall CO2 levels have remained broadly flat. On the east coast route, further shift from air to rail is predicted to lead to an overall reduction in CO2 even if the total air/rail market grows by 2% a year.

Virgin Trains is proud of the role we have played in encouraging this shift towards a greener, more sustainable form of travel, whilst also supporting Scotland’s economic growth. In June this year we saw rail achieve the highest market share relative to airlines in more than 20 years. We want to continue our role in improving train connections between England and Scotland but recognise, as the report highlights, that businesses, individuals and governments also have a role in contributing to the continuing success of rail. There are a number of recommendations in the report aimed at building on this success story and we would be delighted to discuss these with you. If you would like to set up a meeting to discuss the report and its findings, please email: damien.henderson@virgintrains.co.uk.