Rail travel is making a comeback as a greener way to travel and now, the UK train ticketing service Trainhugger is making rail travel more eco-friendly by pledging to plant a tree in the UK for every trip booked through their website or app. For the passenger, there is no difference in cost when compared to other train ticketing services—Trainhugger takes it upon itself to donate a third of its revenue to tree planting.
“This is a really easy way for people to change their behavior and become greener without it costing them any more,” says Ed Caldecott, founder and CEO of Trainhugger. “If you’re planning a trip, book your train ticket with us and we’ll plant a tree in your name.”
The company partnered with the experts at the Royal Forestry Society (RFS) and the Royal Scottish Forestry Society (RSFS) to ensure that each tree planted with Trainhugger is “both the right species and planted in the best way possible.”
The initiative could potentially plant millions of trees across the UK annually, significantly improving air quality by reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. “Train travel also produces significantly less CO2 than traditional car travel so this is a win-win for conscientious travelers, the environment, and for those planting resilient woodland,” says RFS Development Manager Jen Turner.
On top of accessing their trip information, passengers can also keep track of how many trees each user has planted and how much carbon is saved through the Trainhugger app. The ticketing service is set on planting 10 million trees by 2025.
