A campaign has been launched to encourage young people to travel by train, with climate change at the heart of the message.

The advertising, which is entitled A Greener Future, is led by Network Rail in collaboration with the Rail Delivery Group and the Campaign for Better Transport, and it sets out to explain to ‘Generation Z’ why just one journey by train ‘can make a significant and positive impact on the environment’, when compared to car travel.

The points being made include that an average train journey causes little more than a fifth of the carbon emissions which would be the result of an equivalent car trip.

Network Rail engineering and safety director Martin Frobisher said: ‘Rail is one of the greenest forms of transport, and we are working hard to make it even greener, by investing in electrification, renewable energy, and taking care of the rich variety of wildlife and plants that live along the thousands of miles of land that surrounds the railway.

‘We hope that this campaign will inspire young people that travelling by rail is part of the solution. That just one journey by train, rather than by car, can make a huge difference in helping protect the planet.’

Rail Delivery Group chief executive officer Jacqueline Starr added: ‘Travelling by train is a simple way to make a greener choice. When looking at the sustainability of different modes of transport our railways are hard to beat, and it’s one of the great benefits of making rail your first choice. We are committed to helping our railways to grow, with more people taking the train over other modes of transport we can all play our part one journey at a time.’

Silviya Barrett, who is director of policy and campaigns at the Campaign for Better Transport, said: ‘Taking the train is already the greenest way to travel and with more rail lines being electrified, it’s only getting greener. Choosing the train is one of the simplest things you can do to minimise your carbon footprint and make a difference, one journey at a time.’

As one of Britain’s biggest landowners, Network Rail is responsible for looking after the rich biodiversity alongside the railways, and employs full-time ecologists who work with contractors and in-house staff to manage lineside vegetation to protect trains and also encourage wildlife. Examples that can be seen along the lineside include woodpiles, ‘bug hotels’ and strategic planting.

The campaign ‘A Greener Future’ will be seen on social media, digital platforms and outdoor advertising until next month.