We know transport causes a large part of outdoor sport emissions. It’s also one of the main reasons many outdoor sports enthusiasts hesitate to speak out on climate, which makes it a key issue to address.

We need to take action on transport now as the nationalisation of British railways is in progress and will inherently change how these services are run. International operators are also making changes that will make it harder for outdoor sports lovers to use these routes. With both of these major changes taking place as we speak, this is our chance to help guide decisions in a better direction.

POW’s priority is to shift the system, making the right choice the easiest and most affordable one.

To do this, we need a strong understanding of the current situation and its challenges, and we need to bring this insight together with clear evidence of public support and the benefits of change. We will take this evidence to those with the power to create improvements. We’ll explain how we will go about this in the following blog, and you can support this work by heading over to the Clean Miles petition and adding your perspective and signature.

Before launching the campaign, we ran a survey of our community to better understand the barriers to using public transport for outdoor sports. The top issues people raised were:

The survey is still open alongside our petition so that we can keep gathering the strongest possible evidence on the blockers to share this with decision-makers.

As part of the campaign we’ll also produce practical guides on how to carry different types of equipment. For now, here’s a look at what our research has revealed so far and how it shapes the direction of our asks.

The Government published a new climate plan in October to help meet our domestic climate targets and deliver the emissions cuts committed to under the Paris Agreement. The plan includes a clear policy aim: “Supporting more people to choose to walk, wheel and cycle, and use public transport, reducing emissions from reduced use of single-occupancy private cars.”

Nationalisation has already begun: By the end of 2026, the majority of all UK train journeys will be on government-operated train lines, with the Great British Railways Bill taking over from current operators such as GWR, LNER and others.

We’re concerned that in trying to simplify the rules that currently vary between operators, there’s a risk they will move towards a lowest common denominator. In the worst case, this could lead to restrictions or even a complete ban, on carrying skis, snowboards or surfboards.

The Government has recently released their response to a consultation on the future set-up, and has introduced the Great British Railways Bill to establish the new organisation These are early, high-level steps focused on GBR structure rather than specifics. They have, however, committed to an overhaul of fare-setting, and the recent Budget confirmed the rail fare freeze. There will be new ticketing and information platforms, and train times should connect more smoothly where operators previously failed to coordinate.

Bikes carriage on UK trains are some of the worst provision in Europe according to the European Cyclists’ Federation. It’s particularly difficult for mountain and gravel bikers, with reports of people being asked to remove their bikes from trains because off-road bike tyres or frame lengths don't fit allocated spaces. In contrast, new European legislation requires bike spaces to be “appropriate”, with all trains required to offer at least 4 spaces.

There have also been changes from French operator SNCF, which has recently effectively banned snowboards by enforcing a rule that boards over 130cm cannot be carried (even though skis of any length are allowed). Travellers risk a fine of between 50 and 150 Euros. This can prevent whole groups from travelling by train, even if just one person is travelling with a snowboard.

The Eurostar Snow is back after being cancelled during Covid, and our Save the Ski Train campaign was instrumental in its return. Skis and snowboards are permitted, which is great news, but capacity is very limited: there is currently just one train of ~800 seats each way per week, which sells out very quickly. We need greater capacity, more destinations, and ideally a summer option too.

Ice axes are officially allowed on Eurostar trains after issues a few years ago, but they need to be registered in advance with Eurostar Travel services, packed in a specific box, and checked-in early (we advise reading ( the full requirements carefully!) Even so, there are continued reports of ice axes being confiscated during security checks in Brussels.

Eurostar and SNCF (and some UK operators) have recently started encouraging passengers to use courier partners such as Sherpr and First Luggage to move large luggage ahead of travel. In some cases this is genuinely useful - transferring across Paris without a snowboard bag? That feels like a win. However, we need to ensure that the cost and carbon emissions of these services are workable, especially as some shipments are flown. We also need clarity on which services are useful for our needs and which are not — for example, SNCF’s ‘Mes Bagages’, which collects from the UK.

Reliability is a concern for travellers on the train. One area we believe that could be improved is with Great British Rail joining the Hop On Next Available Train (HOTNAT) initiative, guaranteeing you can get on the Eurostar if your earlier train is delayed and vice versa. At the moment you can get next train cover, but have to buy a ticket to/from ‘London International CIV’ or a single through-ticket, but these aren’t available from all sellers and this is not at all well known!

Based on our research, our asks are forming around:

Most of these asks, along with the petition, are directed towards the UK Government. Some will also be taken to the Scottish and Welsh Governments and to certain rail operators where responsibilities are devolved. We will also use the petition to influence Eurostar and SNCF, working closely with Protect Our Winters France, SnowCarbon and Ski Flight Free.

A full report will follow in Spring 2026, offering much more detail. In the meantime please make sure you’ve taken our petition and survey, and if you already have, that you share it with others!