Rail travel - Greenpeace criticizes lack of direct trains in Europe
European cities are better connected to each other by airplane than by train according to a new study by environmental organization Greenpeace. With existing infrastructure, it would be possible to create 305 new direct train connections between cities in Europe, the study states.
Greenpeace compared train and flight connections between 45 European major cities and analyzed the potential for better direct trains. Out of all 990 routes between the cities, only 12% could be served by direct trains. The number of direct flights is much higher.
Missing direct train connections were found on heavily traveled routes such as Paris-Rome, Madrid-Paris, and London-Berlin. With over a million passengers per year, these were among the busiest European flight routes. These three routes could be covered by direct trains within 10 hours and 30 minutes, according to the study.
Train travel takes long and is expensive
Currently, travelers could depart from Paris by train at 8:00 am and arrive in Copenhagen by 21:30 pm, but they would have to change trains in Cologne and Hamburg twice and risk missing their connecting trains. Moreover, the ticket price for the train journey is significantly higher than for air travel. With a lot of luck, the train ticket would cost less than 300 Euro. Five airlines operate daily flights between Paris and Copenhagen, with prices starting at 14.99 Euro.
Greenpeace calls for a new EU rail strategy that prioritizes trains over planes and promotes direct train connections between European cities. Toll fees for trains should be reduced, and a kerosene tax should be introduced to reduce flights.
- The proposed EU rail strategy by Greenpeace aims to improve direct train connections, potentially making a rail journey between Vienna and Paris possible.
- Greenpeace's study highlights the potential for 305 new direct train connections across Europe, including major cities like Copenhagen and Paris, which currently have numerous direct flights but limited direct train options.
- The environmental organization Greenpeace criticizes the current air traffic situation in Europe, urging a shift towards prioritizing trains, as evidenced by the Paris-Copenhagen route, which has numerous daily flights but limited direct train options.
- As part of their proposed EU rail strategy, Greenpeace suggests introducing kerosene taxes as an incentive to reduce air traffic and promote environmental-friendly options like trains, such as on the heavy-trafficked London-Berlin-Paris-Rome routes.
- Greenpeace's call for a new EU rail strategy could ultimately lead to more affordable train journeys like the one between Copenhagen and Paris, making rail travel a more attractive and sustainable option for tourists in Europe.
