Factor 20: reducing CO2 emissions from inland transport by a major modal shift to rail

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The proposed Feasibility Account will explore the premise that, to bring about a significant reduction in UK CO2 emissions from transport by 2050, rail system capacity and use will need to increase by a factor of 10 on current levels . Halving total CO2 emissions from rail transport over the same period gives a reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne- or passenger km by a factor of 20. This is a major challenge, and the potential barriers are manifold. They encompass economics, human behaviour, societal norms and social acceptance as well as technical, operational and political factors. Radical thinking in all of these areas is needed, covering work and travel patterns, incentivising rail travel above other modes, improving its attractiveness, optimising system capacity and spreading use, and overcoming societal, political and economic constraints on the development of new lines. It will be necessary to consider all types of railways, including metro systems and light rail, commuter, long-distance and rural passenger services, as well as freight. It is this radical thinking across this range of disciplines in combination that the feasibility account proposes to deliver.