RAIL passengers on the Airedale line can now compare the cost of their journey with the equivalent trip by road – plus the travel time and CO2 emissions.

Train operator Northern has launched an online savings calculator, which compares ticket prices to the average cost of covering the same distance in a diesel or electric car.

Travel times are compared to car journeys on Google maps, and CO2 emissions are calculated using Government-certified data sources.

Mark Powles, for Northern, says: "This new feature forms part of our commitment to put customers at the heart of everything we do, by enabling them to make informed decisions.

"Encouraging people to switch from road to rail is something we are naturally very passionate about.

"The calculator tool highlights three of the biggest issues our customers tell us are important to them, and we’re confident our trains will more than ‘hold their own’ against the car when it comes to saving people time and money and reducing CO2 emissions.

"All calculations are made using Government conversion factors, and environmental data regarding our fleet of trains is validated each year by an external auditor."

For further information and to use the savings calculator, visit northernrailway.co.uk/train-vs-car-comparison.