Celebrating YOU this World Car Free Day

Sunday 22nd September is World Car Free Day, a day that we leave our cars peacefully at home so that the world can breathe easier. Quite literally.

So, we wanted to take a moment and say a massive thank you for every train ticket you’ve scanned, every bike ride you’ve cycled, and every walk you’ve strutted. Because every time you choose the train, the bike or your feet instead of the car, you’re choosing a happier planet.

　　What is World Car Free Day?

It’s a day that challenges us to keep the car keys at home and either walk, cycle, or take a train to our daily destination instead. The goal is to not only cut down on CO2 emissions, but to also see how cities would look, feel, smell, and operate like with less cars on the road.

　　Why is World Car Free Day important to celebrate?

Sometimes the shouting, the doomsday headlines and overwhelming science jargon can make living more sustainably feel impossible to achieve. But, carbon saving doesn't have to be complicated, and small positive changes can be just that. Small, and positive.

A single sustainable choice of taking the train instead of driving can have a huge positive impact on the environment, lowering your CO2 impact by a massive 67%*.

As for walking and cycling? Unless your trainers have their own motors, biking or walking instead of taking a car is about the greenest way to get to your destination that we can think of.

If you've considered making your travel choices more sustainable, you're not the only one. Recent survey data we’ve gathered tells us that the UK population is eager to ditch their cars for less polluting forms of transport more often. 56% would like to be able to walk or cycle more, and 50% would prefer to use public transport more frequently, and the general appetite for more sustainable modes of transport is on the up.

And with more and more communities taking part each year, the benefits really start to shine through. For instance, on separate car free days in Paris and London, air pollutant levels dropped by 40% and 89% respectively**.

　　A day to pump the brakes on our cars’ CO2 emissions

Carbon emissions can sometimes feel like a bit of a mystery. How much is a lot of CO2? How can you even weigh gas? How much difference can one trip actually make? Well, whether you’re in the mood to walk to the shops instead of driving, or feel like swapping something further afield, now you can calculate exactly how much CO2 you can save on your journeys. Visit www.icamebytrain.com and our Carbon Calculator will do the maths for you.

　　It’s easy being green

Green looks good on everybody, any day of the year. So, if you’d like to colour-coordinate with us on World Car Free Day, we’ll save you a seat on the train.

Why not join the 23,000 people who’ve already pledged to swap one journey from car or plane to rail this year? Make your pledge and find all the facts at www.icamebytrain.com.

*Calculations are based on CO2 / passenger km, comparing an average petrol car, using statistics and conversion factors published in the government’s greenhouse gas reporting conversion factors published 2 June 2021 and revised in January 2022. See here for more.

** As reported by the World Economic Forum