In Future

While there may not be any fossil-fuel-free sea crossings from Ireland yet, this is emerging in other countries such as France!  See www.sailcoop.fr 

The Eurostar may not be the only option for trains via the channel tunnel in future – www.timeout.com/uk/news/this-eurostar-competitor-wants-to-start-train-services-between-london-and-europe-011524

Campaign links

If you’d like to learn more or get involved in campaigns addressing the climate impact of aviation, here are some links:

Campaigns against damaging growth of aviation:

• Children’s Rights Over Flights – Irish campaign group – you can also follow on social media here: mastodon.ie/@RightOverFlight, bsky.app/profile/rightoverflight.bsky.social, www.facebook.com/childrensrightsoverflights
• Flight Free UK – UK campaign group
• stay-grounded.org – global network of campaigns on aviation

Individual action movement

• WeStayOnTheGround.org – movement of people going flight-free

Support for organisational change

• travelsmartcampaign.org – a campaign to support businesses to reduce business travel flight emissions
• wearepossible.org – supports employers to support their employees with non-flight travel, e.g. through extra time off

Campaigns on improving the alternatives to flying

• erasmusbytrain.eu – student-and-youth-led campaign to make Erasmus EU cultural exchanges climate-friendly 
• bettertransport.org.uk/campaigns/international-rail/ UK based campaign on improved international transport without flying – also relevant for Ireland given our geography
• back-on-track.eu – a campaign to improve night-train services throughout Europe

Data / reports

• Greenpeace report: Low cost flights up to 26 times cheaper than trains

Below are campaigns to improve ferry services to foot passengers and cyclists. Many ferry companies refuse foot passengers and cyclists on some of their routes and times. This leads to inconvenience for foot passengers and cyclists who don’t have the same choice of timetable that motorists do. A taxi driver in Dover told me (Elaine) that people hire him to take them across the ferry to Calais, not because they actually want a car, but just because foot passengers are not allowed by most ferry companies on that route.

• my.uplift.ie/petitions/ferries-stop-discrimination-against-cyclists-and-foot-passengers (note the Pembroke-Rosslare route is taking foot passengers and cyclists now – it wasn’t at the time of this incident)
• Podcast: open.spotify.com/episode/5Z7dNoUXNsoLDfESzb5D1c?si=-7ZegixGQY2xN5Of4CM6mg which also includes Patrick talking about his experience of being charged more to take a ferry as a family of foot passengers or cyclists than as a family in a car.

Let’s Build a By-Land-And-Sea-Dot-Ie Campaign !

We would like to build a by-land-and-sea-dot-ie campaign for better services for people who travel to and from Ireland without flying. This can include:

• Europe-wide programme of interventions to ensure the price of non-flight travel is significantly cheaper than the price of flying, not the other way around
• easier all-in-one ticketing options for Ireland-Britain-Continental Europe travel routes (e.g. Dublin-Paris or Dublin-Amsterdam), which allow just one booking and payment to cover an itinerary, which allow re-arranging at no extra cost if there are missed connections due to delays, and which include shuttle buses for any connections involving long walks
• coordinated timetables between ferries and trains, at convenient times which allow night portions of long trips to be spent in sleeping compartments in ferry/train, rather than hours at night at ports or train stations
• more high-speed direct trains on key routes such as Holyhead-London, linked to ferry times
• shuttle buses between ferry terminals and train stations if the train station is not near the ferry terminal
• foot passengers and cyclists on ferries
  • all ferry crossings and ports which accept passengers with cars should also be required to accept foot passengers and cyclists
  • foot passengers and cyclists to be given priority for boarding and disembarkation from ferries
• bicycle integration:
  • ferry ports and major train stations to include bike-share schemes and/or bike hire facilities. For example there is a city bike scheme DublinBikes however the nearest bike station is “The Point” which is a 4km walk from Dublin Port – we need a bike station at Dublin Port.
  • ferry ports and major train stations to include secure short and long term bike parking.
  • adding a bicycle to train bookings and tickets should be straightforward
• better access to ferry and train travel and connections for people with mobility challenges
• funding programmes which cover travel should fully fund non-flight travel including incidentals like accommodation and meals along the way

You may have more ideas on what to campaign for and how to campaign on this – welcome to email hello@bylandandsea.ie and follow us on Mastodon.