Real numbers · EEA + electricityMap · 2026
Take the train.
Cut your carbon by up to 98%.
A short-haul flight produces 510 gCO₂e/pkm. The French TGV produces 1.8 gCO₂/pkm. Same destination. Two very different footprints.
Plan a rail tripCO₂ by transport mode
gCO₂e per passenger-km · EEA TERM 2023 · Lee et al. 2021 (RF ×2)
Rail emissions by country
Sorted cleanest first · each bar scaled against a short-haul flight
Grid intensity from Eurostat nrg_bal_c · Updated 2026-06-02
Methodology
Rail
Rail CO₂/pkm = 33 Wh/pkm (EEA Technical Report 13/2020, European average intercity rail, including HVAC and auxiliaries) × country grid carbon intensity (gCO₂/kWh) ÷ 1 000. Grid intensity is derived from the electricity generation fuel mix per country via the Eurostat nrg_bal_c dataset, applying IPCC 2014 direct emission factors per fuel type (coal 820 gCO₂/kWh, gas 490 gCO₂/kWh, oil 650 gCO₂/kWh). Updated annually.
Aviation
Baseline gCO₂/pkm figures come from EEA TERM 2023 Table A.2 (tank-to-wake, economy class, 80% load factor): 255 gCO₂/pkm for short-haul, 195 gCO₂/pkm for medium-haul, 147 gCO₂/pkm for long-haul. Multiplied by ×2.0 to account for radiative forcing (contrails, NOₓ, water vapour) as per Lee et al. 2021.
Car & bus
Car: EU new-car fleet average 2023 (petrol, single occupant) from Eurostat env_air_gge. Bus: EU intercity coach average from EEA TERM 2023 Table A.1.
Limitations
Rail figures assume 100% electric traction, which slightly understates emissions in countries with significant diesel suburban services (e.g. parts of Romania). Aviation figures exclude airport access transport and do not account for premium-class cabin differences. All figures are per-passenger, not per-vehicle.
FAQ
How much CO₂ does a short-haul flight produce?
A typical short-haul flight (under 1,500 km) produces around 510 gCO₂e per passenger-km when radiative forcing effects (contrails, NOₓ) are included — roughly 2× the tank-to-wake emissions alone (255 gCO₂/pkm). Source: EEA TERM 2023.
How much CO₂ does the average European train emit?
The EU-average passenger train emits around 7.5 gCO₂/pkm, using 33 Wh of electricity per passenger-km and the EU average grid carbon intensity. Trains in France or Norway emit under 2 gCO₂/pkm due to nuclear and hydro power. Source: EEA Technical Report 13/2020.
What is radiative forcing in aviation?
Radiative forcing accounts for non-CO₂ warming effects from aviation: contrail formation, NOₓ emissions at altitude, and water vapour. The scientific consensus (Lee et al. 2021, Atmospheric Environment) is a multiplier of approximately 2× over tank-to-wake CO₂ alone. This is why EuroTrekker reports aviation CO₂e figures that are roughly double the raw CO₂ numbers.
Which European country has the cleanest rail emissions?
Norway and France have the cleanest rail networks, with under 2 gCO₂/pkm, thanks to near-100% hydro (Norway) and 75% nuclear (France) electricity generation. In contrast, coal-heavy Poland produces around 25 gCO₂/pkm — still far below the 510 gCO₂e/pkm of a short-haul flight.
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