West Ham United teams up with Trainline to tackle fan travel emissions
West Ham United supports the “I came by train” initiative
West Ham United is committed to reducing its environmental impact, as we’ve seen with the current project to install 6,500 square metres of solar panels on their stadium’s roof. At the start of the year, they announced a new sustainability initiative with Trainline.
West Ham United is supporting Trainline’s “I came by train” initiative. It’s a collective movement established in 2022 to promote sustainable travel and highlight the environmental benefits of travelling by train rather than driving or taking the plane.
The club and Trainline have started a pilot project through which fans will receive a 20% discount on rail fares to see Premier League and Barclays Women’s Super League away games. This discount will be in addition to any railcard discount fans already benefit from.
In doing so, they join the ranks of Premier League Clubs Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. and Brentford F.C., who are already supporting the initiative. However, and importantly, West Ham United have become the first club to offer discounts to their women’s team supporters!
Reducing fan travel emissions in sports through trains
During this pilot, the discount was offered to fans attending the men’s away game at Everton on the 15th of March and will be offered for the men’s away game at Manchester United on the 10th of May and the women’s away game at Leicester City on the 11th of May.
The environmental benefits of encouraging rail transportation with financial incentives are clear, as, according to Trainline, taking the train is 67% less polluting than taking the car. Compared to air travel, travelling by train emits 7 times less carbon.
Beyond the environmental benefits, this partnership with Trainline can help reduce the cost of travel for fans attending away games. Throughout a season with 19 Premier League away games, fans can face significant travel costs on top of ticket prices.
“Travelling to support West Ham United over land and sea can be expensive. This initiative provides a great opportunity for loyal supporters of both the men’s and women’s teams to reduce their carbon footprint, while saving money on their travels to watch the Hammers in action.”
Mike Field, member of the West Ham United’s Fan Advisory Board
Premier League teams can contribute to the UK’s decarbonisation
By supporting the “I came by train” initiative, Premier League clubs can play a role in tackling transportation emissions in the UK, which amount to 27% of the country’s emissions. In fact, as part of its Net Zero target, the UK needs to increase passenger rail travel by 30% by 2035.
Premier League clubs can create waves of climate action by leveraging the collective power of their fans. The “I came by train” initiative is a perfect example of how the sum of small individual actions can make a significant difference, and how to create environmental benefits with financial incentives.
“There is a huge opportunity to drive modal shift through fan power. The demand is there; football fans have a higher ambition than the general public to be more environmentally friendly. And there are lots of train routes in the UK that are faster, cheaper and always greener than driving!”
Natalie Marques, Head of the ‘I Came By Train’ movement at Trainline
We can only hope that West Ham United’s pilot with Trainline will be successful and that other Premier League clubs will follow in their footsteps. You can count on Wavezero to keep you updated on any new emission reduction initiatives taken by football clubs!
