Media Students Quiz Southern Rail on Green Train Travel

Two East Sussex College Media students put Southern Rail in the hot seat, exploring the environmental benefits of travelling by train for a half-hour radio documentary.

Logan Freeman and Zahim Yenipinar, both 17 and studying Media at East Sussex College’s Eastbourne campus, interviewed Jason Brooker, Head of Environment & Sustainability at Southern Rail, for a programme broadcast between 18th-21st November on 87.7FM Eastbourne Youth Radio.

The full show is available to stream via the EYR Listen Again service (the interview begins 13 minutes in). In the broadcast, they dug deeper into the themes highlighted in their documentary - from sustainability to everyday travel choices - expanding on why the topic matters to young people.

Logan said, “A lot of students here at college are thinking about getting their first car, and we wanted to explore how that compares with using the train – especially considering the environmental difference.”

As they pulled the documentary together, the project not only strengthened their media skills but also pushed them out of their comfort zone - something they reflected on when talking about the experience.

“We really enjoyed making the documentary; it was a good opportunity to spread awareness and to guide people into being more sustainable,” they said. “It also helped us overcome a lot of anxiety we originally had about contacting people, so we also found it helpful.”

Their documentary highlights the environmental impact of choosing rail over road. Jason explains that trains are the most environmentally friendly form of public transport available, particularly Southern’s electric fleet. Transport accounts for 30% of all UK domestic carbon emissions - with cars responsible for 54%. Rail travel produces just 1.3%.

Jason said: “Public transport is great for the environment when compared with private cars simply because they carry more people for the amount of energy used. The journey from Eastbourne to Brighton on one of our trains, for example, emits half as much CO₂ as a car per passenger.

“Added to that, trains last much longer. We have trains that are more than 20 years old, and they’re regularly refurbished. It’s only at the very end of their life that they’re broken down. How many people have a car that is old on the road - and running efficiently?”

Logan and Zahim said the project helped them understand the bigger picture around sustainable travel: “The thing we liked the most about the project was that it gave a good opportunity to learn about the importance of using public transport to be more sustainable, while also spreading awareness about it.”

They set out to explore both sides of the debate - hoping to speak with car industry representatives as well as public transport advocates - but the process came with its challenges. “We had a few challenges, such as many motoring companies not being available or willing to do an interview with us, so we had to settle on having interviews just with public transport companies and people who are actively trying to improve sustainability by advising people to move to public transport.”

The students also discussed the cost of train travel with Southern. Jason highlighted railcards, which reduce fares by a third, as well as Advance fares - with tickets to London available from just £8 (and still eligible for railcard discounts).

Southern’s Unizone ticket offers many Sussex students unlimited discounted travel between college, home, and social destinations. Students can also save 50% on train fares for the whole year using the 16-17 saver railcard.

All East Sussex College campuses are conveniently located close to major train stations - including Hastings, Ore, Hampden Park, Lewes and Newhaven - making rail travel an accessible and sustainable option for our students.

“You don’t have to park if you take the train – driving into Brighton will cost you at least £20 for the day,” Jason said.

“Plus, for older students, you’ll have to watch what you drink! People sometimes worry about service disruption, but we’ve recently improved the timetable and trains run frequently. If one service is delayed or cancelled, there’s usually another one shortly after. And have you seen the congestion on the A27?”

Reflecting on the experience, Zahim said: “We really enjoyed the chance to talk to Jason and compare the environmental impact of taking the train versus using a car. Hopefully it will make people think more about the choices they make.”

Both students say their Media course at East Sussex College has prepared them well for real-world projects like this one.

“We are really enjoying the Media course at East Sussex College, it is so fun being able to make a project our way,” they said. “We aren't held back on what we can do - we have a topic for a client or a unit of work, and after that we usually get free rein over what we make and how we do it. Overall it is a really good environment to be in.”

Through this project, Logan and Zahim not only gained hands-on media production experience but also helped raise awareness of greener transport choices - encouraging their peers and younger people from local schools - who also helped produce their own shows during EYR - to think differently about how they travel.