LOS ANGELES, Sept 22 — Google has announced that it’s rolling out new search tools with the aim of helping users around the world find more sustainable travel solutions.

Train travel will be prioritised, with the tech giant making it possible for users to book tickets for certain destinations directly from a module integrated into its famous search engine.

It’s now possible to book your train tickets directly on Google Search. Before taking a trip abroad, it’s useful to organise as many of your journeys as possible. And now all that you need to do for that is simply type a very simple query like "Berlin to Vienna trains.”

A dedicated module will then appear, giving you the option of choosing your preferred date and time. All the available routes will then be listed, with their prices. A link will allow users to book their tickets if need be. Available in some countries, such as Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan, this functionality will be rolled out further, in line with agreements made with various railway companies.

In addition to making it easy to find information without having to log into a dedicated platform first, Google is making sustainability a key theme in its travel search tools. On Google Flight, for example, it is possible to estimate the carbon emissions for each trip and select only low emission results.

As for hotels, an "Eco-certified” label appears when an establishment commits to environmental sustainability when this filter is selected. It’s a focus that will become even more pronounced as new filters are gradually introduced to help travelers make ever more environmentally friendly choices during their travel searches. — ETX Studio