Trains win the climate race on Vienna–Hamburg trips with far lower emissions

A new comparison of transport emissions for a round trip between Vienna and Hamburg has been released. It shows clear differences in carbon footprints across various modes of travel. Trains produce the least CO₂, while flights emit the most for the same journey. The train route covers 1,237 km one way, passing through Austria, Germany, and other countries. It emits just 0.054 t CO₂e for the entire round trip, the lowest of all options. This is roughly one-eighth the emissions of flying or driving alone.

A solo trip in a combustion-engine car travels 975 km one way, passing through the Czech Republic. It produces 0.440 t CO₂e for the round trip, nearly matching the flight’s output. An electric car performs better, emitting 0.206 t CO₂e for the same distance.

Flying the 767.5 km one-way route results in the highest emissions at 0.435 t CO₂e. Aviation’s emission factor is about 23% higher than that of a combustion-engine car. Long-distance buses emit 0.095 t CO₂e for the same trip as the car calculation. Trains remain the most climate-friendly option for this route. Cars and planes emit far more CO₂, with buses falling in between. The data highlights the significant gap in emissions between different transport choices.