Railway Investment Needed to Support Net Zero

That the Parliament considers that train travel remains overall the most environmentally friendly mode of motorised passenger transport in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, when compared with travelling by car or plane, according to two transport and environment studies published by the European Environment Agency; agrees with the reported view of the Rail Delivery Group that it is the ready-made solution for a low-carbon future where roads are quieter and safer, and the air is cleaner; understands that a single train removes up to 500 cars off the roads, that a train ride cuts carbon emissions by two thirds compared with traveling by car, and that every freight train removes 76 lorries from the roads, reducing carbon emissions and road congestion; believes that attracting more people and businesses to rail will be pivotal for the country’s net zero ambitions; considers that, with all this in mind, ScotRail, with the support of the Scottish Government, should not be proposing cutting 300 train services a day across the country, or proposing ticket office closures and job losses, and believes that, if Scotland is to become a Net Zero Nation, investment needs to be made into sustainable and low-carbon forms of transport and, in particular, the railways, which must be affordable for people to use.