Noughties R’n’B legend Craig David has released a song about why we should all travel by train.
The song, entitled ‘Better Days (I Came By Train)’, is a John-Legend-esque groove that comes complete with an animated video, wherein Mr David has something of an epiphany about the wonders of train travel.
The song and video have a strong sustainability message with lyrics including: “ We can weather the storm and make it our mission even if the whole world ain’t listening,” and, “I know you’re tired of all the pain we’re causing/But I know we can make a meaningful change”.
In the video, animated by Golden Wolf studio, Craig catches the train, floats up into space, encounters Mother Nature, cavorts with whale sharks and sees wildfire, pollution and flooding from his train window.
It’s part of a wider campaign by Thetrainline.com, ‘I Came By Train’, which encourages rail travellers to share their journeys on the tracks.
As part of the initiative, customers of the rail-booking platform can “pledge” to swap a flight or car journey for a train trip, giving a reason from a drop-down menu.
These include: “I came by train because... being lit is for influencers, not forests”, and “I came by train because... penguins shouldn’t be sunbathing”.
For each pledge, Thetrainline says it will plant a tree, with a maximum of 25,000 to be planted via offsetting initiative OnHand.
The campaign website also includes a carbon calculator where you can work out the CO2 generated by your journey, and facts about swapping flying and driving for train journeys.
“Cars and planes create 58 per cent of the UK’s transport CO2 emissions, whereas the entire rail network (with all the trains to everywhere) adds up to just 1.5 per cent,” reads one fact on the site.
Craig David said: “Writing this was a real passion project for me as I want to help raise awareness of the impact our choices can have on the environment.
“Even swapping just one journey from car or plane to train can make a significant difference - it’s a no-brainer if you want to do your bit to help towards a better future! Even the smallest things can make a beautiful change.”
Thetrainline.com isn’t the only rail industry company promoting trains as a sustainable alternative to flying or driving.
Earlier this month, rail operator LNER published research with UCL claiming that Britons taking just one train journey instead of a carbon-heavier alternative could save 186,200 tonnes of CO2 this autumn.
