Reducing Emissions Caused by Student Air Travel to and from Dunedin

Abstract

Students travelling in between their city of study and their hometowns is one of the largest emissions generators for both the University of Otago, and the city of Dunedin as a whole (Rutherford & Cliff, 2023). To address this, this report will cover the question ‘How can an ‘event specific’ train to and from Dunedin be utilised to reduce the emissions created by student’s travel behaviour and what other benefits could this deliver for students and Dunedin?’ This inquiry aims to analyse solutions to the issue of emissions resulting from student travel, with a particular focus on travel between Dunedin and Christchurch for events and University breaks. Current underutilisation of existing rail and public transport infrastructure contributes to high rates of flying and driving. The effective use of rail is a key tool to reducing transport emissions, in its current state, the reinstatement of passenger rail is complex and facing barriers, the introduction of irregular passenger rail would aim to be a more feasible solution. This report endeavours to bridge the gap in formal research, offering insights into the viability of this method and provide further understanding to allow for more work to be done on the introduction of this service and additional supporting initiatives. This report may also provide insights for other possible institutions interested in implementing a similar service to further explore the idea.  

Supervised by: Craig Cliff, Ray O’Brien

Scholarship Project Funded by: Dunedin City Council