Tuesday 24 January 2023

Brexit-Blocking Greener Travel

Air travel pumps carbon dioxide, a major 'greenhouse gas', into the atmosphere. London to Amsterdam is now one of the busiest air routes in Europe. There is consequently huge demand for rail, as it's the greenest form of international travel. At peak times, however, Eurostar trains across the channel are forced to run with hundreds of empty seats (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jan/24/eurostar-trains-empty-seats-brexit-passport-rules-london-paris-brussels). At some times (especially early morning trips) on routes from London to Paris and Brussels, up to 33% of the Eurostar seats are unfilled. The train company can't sell the seats, as there are too few border police to process and stamp UK passports. Even folk who do get to travel by rail travel, take up to 30% longer to pass through passport controls. They are also instructed to arrive up to 90 minutes before their travel time. Brexit makes our planet burn brighter!

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