Carbon Footprint Calculator

At Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. In partnership with CIÉ Group Sustainability, we are delighted to introduce the Carbon Footprint Calculator (CO₂ Calculator) to our Android and iOS mobile apps.   

This new feature empowers customers to make more informed travel choices by showing the estimated** CO₂ emissions per passenger kilometre for their train journey and how it compares to travelling by car. 

Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail Sustainability in motion 2024 to 2030

Why it matters - Supporting a more sustainable Ireland 

By choosing rail, customers can significantly reduce their environmental impact.  

The CO₂ Calculator is designed to: 

  • Encourage customers to make greener travel decisions every day 
  • Raise awareness of emissions 
  • Encourage sustainable public transport 
  • Support Iarnrod Eireann and CIÉ’s wider sustainability strategies 
  • Contribute to Ireland’s climate goals  


What the CO₂ Calculator displays 

For each journey, customers are presented with: 

  • Estimated CO₂ emissions for their train journey 
  • A comparison with car travel on the same route 
  • The CO₂ savings achieved by choosing rail 

 

**How it is Calculated and Disclaimer  

The calculation is based on 2024 data to include the following variables: 

  • Train types (Diesel vs. Electric, Loco hauled vs. Diesel multiple units) 
  • Engine/Motor Energy consumption 
  • Distance travelled 
  • Annualised passenger occupancy based on passenger census data 
  • Car Emission data – provided by ifeu (the German Institute for Energy & Environment) 

The CO₂ kg figure for each train is the average emissions divided by the average passenger load factor. Actual emissions and occupancy can vary by service, but the figure shown represents a typical journey. 

Disclaimer  

  • As our data and technology improves, the accuracy of the data will improve 
  • Data will be reviewed annually using figures from the previous calendar year 

 

Availability 

The CO₂ Calculator is currently available on the Irish Rail mobile app, with plans to include it in the online Journey Planner in a future release. 

 

More Information

Click on this link for more on Sustainability at Iarnrod Eireann -  

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/company-information/sustainability  

 

Choose rail. Travel greener. Reduce your impact. 

Screenshots showing the new CO2 data included in our mobile app journey planner results.
Barr