Sustainable travel news vol. 9

Welcome to our ninth sustainable travel roundup, created in collaboration with Flight Free UK, where we will share some of the most recent updates, news, and developments shaping the future of eco-friendly travel.

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New cycling and walking trail opens on South Downs

A former Victorian railway station in the South Downs National Park has been turned into a new cycling and walking trail. The new trail, which is an extension of the Centurion Way, follows the old Singleton Station line which ran through the park before it closed in the 1990s.

South Downs National Park Authority said further refurbishments would take place over the next two to three years to extend the route to Cocking Hill, linking with the South Downs Way.

Find out more on the BBC website.

Paris-Est station offers a calming space for autistic passengers

A pilot programme at the Paris train station Gare de l'Est offers a sensory break room for passengers with cognitive, mental or psychological challenges.

It’s part of their autism plan, developed with input from medical specialists, to adapt certain spaces to the specific sensory needs of individuals on the autism spectrum. The room will form the basis of future discussions about how to roll out and fund similar spaces across the network.

Find out more on the SNCF Groupe website.

Midlands rail hub to make capacity for hundreds more trains

Major improvements to the railway network in the Midlands could result in hundreds more trains passing through Gloucestershire every week.

Midlands Connect said the £1.75bn Midlands Rail Hub will create capacity for an extra 624,000 seats a year for the county and aims to stop the bottleneck at Birmingham New Street Station by improving connections with the other main stations in the city.

Funding for the Rail Hub was confirmed in the government's spending review in June, and work on the infrastructure is expected to start in the next year.

Find out more on the BBC website.

Griffin Trail walking route hailed a success

A new walking route officially opened over six months ago has proved "its popularity and value to the community", a council said. The £100,000 Griffin Trail around Braybrooke in Northamptonshire was created to replace a disjointed route that involved negotiating unsafe roads.

Figures from North Northamptonshire Council showed it was used more than 5,000 times in a four-week period over the summer. The trail is part of the North Northamptonshire Greenway Project, a network of rural routes, which are mostly free from traffic.

Find out more on the BBC website.

Train services between two cities to double

The number of trains between Lincoln and Nottingham is set to double. Network Rail said services between the two cities will increase from once an hour to twice an hour. The changes will happen when a new timetable is introduced in December.

Find out more on the BBC website.

Scheme to improve walking and cycle routes in Longton

Council leaders have agreed to spend nearly £2 million on transforming Loughton town centre in Stoke-on-Trent. The works will include the creation of a new pedestrianised public square in front of the town hall and other changes to the road network to help increase footfall and encourage people to spend more time in the town.

Find out more on the Stoke-on-Trent Live website.

Devon’s new long-distance walking trail

The South Hams Way, a 101-mile circular trail, officially opened on 14 September 2025, beginning and ending in the historic market town of Totnes. Designed to showcase some of the county’s most beautiful and varied scenery, the route offers walkers a unique journey through coast, countryside and moorland.

The route has been carefully divided into ten stages, ranging from seven to thirteen miles. Each stage begins and ends in a village or town, making it easy for walkers to rest, enjoy local food and find accommodation along the way. 

Find out more on the Visit Devon website.

New York City launches its first hybrid-electric ferry

Harbor Charger, a hybrid-electric vessel which travels between New York City and Governors Island, entered into service this summer. The boat is the first of its kind in New York state and it’s one of only a handful of hybrid-electric ferries to operate in the United States.

The new boat will significantly reduce air pollution and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 600 tons per year when running in hybrid mode. Once it can plug in, the vessel will curb CO2 by an additional 800 tons.

Find out more on the Canary Media website.

'Next generation' of railway cats start patrol

Titch, Clinker and Ash are the next generation in a long line of cats hired by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway as "night patrol officers". The 17-week-old siblings were rehomed to Grosmont Station after being found wandering in nearby Farndale, feral and alone.

"We've always had shed cats, for many, many years and they all do a great job for us, looking after the rodent population and being lovely for the public," says Simon Wall, shed shop supervisor.

Find out more on the BBC website.

By Eveline Vouillemin ©