The Swedes have a word for it: tågskryt. It means literally ‘train bragging’, and it’s a growing trend among travellers who boast about their long-distance rail journeys. It’s not surprising: in these climate-conscious days, why wouldn’t you be proud to travel by train?
After all, as independent UK transport expert Christian Wolmar explains: “Railways probably use around 1% of CO2 emissions per passenger compared with aviation, and about a tenth of the amount you’d use in a car.”
There are many more benefits to long-distance rail travel, he adds. “If you take a sleeper train, you can probably save [money on] a night in a hotel. And it means you arrive refreshed and ready to start the day, rather than trekking all the way into the city centre from the airport after your flight.”
