A BRADFORD to Skipton commuter route is part of new research work which has highlighted the environmental impact of people's travel choices.

Launched during Net Zero week, Transport for the North has analysed a range of journeys across the North of England and looked at the carbon footprint of each when choosing whether to travel by train or car.

Using an average fossil fuel-driven car and an average train on a range of different routes, the sub-national transport authority has calculated how much traditional coal would have to be burned to provide the energy required for each of the trips.

The results highlight the green benefits of rail over single-occupancy car trips as well as the value of car sharing over certain routes.

A commuter travelling from Skipton to Bradford would burn 1.4 kilograms of coal to go by car – but only 0.4 kilograms by taking the train.

This means 1,000 single-car commutes along this route burn almost 1.5 tons of extra carbon energy compared to travelling by train.

Martin Tugwell, Chief Executive of Transport for the North said: "It’s clear from the data that stepping out of the car and onto a train could make a significant impact on the North’s carbon footprint."