For too long, the narrative has been that flying domestically is cheaper and faster. However, when you do a true cost comparison, rail travel is considerably cheaper.
Rail travel offers a more affordable, sustainable, and convenient way to travel. Our research highlights the many advantages that rail travel offers to our customers when travelling within Britain.
Routes compared
We have picked six domestic routes that offer both trains and flights to provide a fair comparison of costs, carbon emissions and availability of services.
- Average costs of a fare between selected routes for a one-way trip departing on August 5 and a one-way trip returning on August 9 (total combined cost of both one-way trips).
- Prices taken between 8 and 10 July directly from rail and flight operators.
- We acknowledge the advisory input from the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE), University of Birmingham, which assisted with the development of the cost calculation methodology in this report. The insights presented herein are based on the RDG's own analysis.
- Refer to the attached appendix to find out more about our cost analysis.
Taking the train is even cheaper when using a Railcard
With a Railcard, you'll pay even less than the prices listed above, saving 1⁄3 on train travel for each route:
- London – Glasgow: £171 £113
- London – Edinburgh: £156 £103
- Manchester – London: £91 £60
- Aberdeen – Manchester: £224 £148
- London – Newcastle: £145 £96
- Edinburgh - Exeter: £220 £145
Booking ahead by rail delivers better value for customers
We have analysed the cost of taking similar trips across Britain in August 2024, noting that fares can vary depending on how far in advance the booking is made, the date chosen and the time of travel.
Whilst it is sometimes possible to purchase a cheap single airline fare between domestic British airports, the presentation of this as the total cost of travel fails to give customers the other associated costs including transfers, baggage, and seat selection.
Additional costs of airport transfers, seat selection and baggage make rail the right choice
Our report shows that the base airfare for domestic flights is frequently more expensive than train tickets. When you factor in the additional costs associated with flying, such as seat selection, baggage fees, and airport transfers, rail travel often emerges as the more economical choice.
Rail is up to 17 times greener when travelling for business across Britain compared to flying.
Air travel is now the fastest-growing contributor to global warming (contributing between 4% - 9% of total emission output). Avoiding a flight when there are easy alternatives is often the biggest single thing that any individual can do to cut their carbon footprint and limit their impact on the environment. Rail is the cleanest public transport option available, contributing only 1.5% of the UK’s total transport emissions.
In 2019, 3.4 million people travelled between London and Edinburgh by air, making it the 2nd busiest air corridor in Europe producing 244,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Rail is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of transporting large numbers of people for long distances, at speed. Rail is intrinsically a sustainable form of transport as new carbon calculations, from Rail Delivery Group, demonstrate that travelling by rail between Edinburgh and London is 17 times greener than the equivalent flight.
We’ve used new Green Travel Pledge carbon data to compare a business trip by plane and by train.
Comparative plane and train carbon emissions data is currently unavailable for Edinburgh - Exeter and Aberdeen - Manchester routes.
Overall city-to-city domestic travel time is quicker by rail
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London – GlasgowTRAIN QUICKER BY 15 MINSFlight time 1 hr 15 Mins
Total city-to-city travel time for air
4 hrs 45 Mins
Rail travel time 4 hrs 30 Mins -
London – EdinburghTRAIN QUICKER BY 20 MINSFlight time 1 hr 10 Mins
Total city-to-city travel time for air
4 hrs 40 Mins
Rail travel time 4 hrs 20 Mins -
Manchester – LondonTRAIN QUICKER BY 2 HRS 24 MINSFlight time 1 hr
Total city-to-city travel time for air
4 hrs 30 Mins
Rail travel time 2 hrs 6 Mins -
Aberdeen – ManchesterPLANE QUICKER BY 56 MINSFlight time 1 hr 10 Mins
Total city-to-city travel time for air
4 hrs 40 Mins
Rail travel time 5 hrs 36 Mins -
London – NewcastleTRAIN QUICKER BY 2 HRS 3 MINSFlight time 1 hr 10 Mins
Total city-to-city travel time for air
4 hrs 40 Mins
Rail travel time 2 hrs 37 Mins -
Edinburgh – ExeterPLANE QUICKER BY 2 HOURS 42 MINSFlight time 1 hr 25 Mins
Total city-to-city travel time for air
4 hrs 55 Mins
Rail travel time 7 hrs 37 Mins
Cost is an important factor for customers, but for many travel time is of equal importance. At first glance, flying may seem to be the fastest way to get between two cities, but when looking at the total time taken from city centre to city centre, rail delivers an equivalent or quicker option. Typically journeys by air involve additional trips to get to the airport from the city centre. You also need to take into account the recommended time to be at the airport before the scheduled departure time, as well as the 30 minutes to disembark, and the onward journey into the city centre. In total, this can add three and a half hours onto the journey. City centre to city centre flying takes longer on four of the six routes reviewed.
Overall, trains are more frequent than planes, especially for routes like London – Newcastle and Manchester – London.
Rail offers a more frequent service and can provide seamless connections to more destinations. Rail networks reach destinations that may be inaccessible by air, offering travellers the opportunity to explore remote villages, historic towns, and charming countryside retreats, that are often missed when travelling by air.
