Personally, when it comes to travelling through Europe, I have always preferred the rails to the sky. Not only do you get to take in the countryside (albeit at speed), it’s also much more convenient. Train stations are often located in the heart of cities compared to airports, which can be up to an hour’s drive (or more) away. Historically, it’s also been the more affordable option, as it took longer than a direct flight. But that’s all changed.
According to a new report from Greenpeace, which compared train and air ticket prices on more than 100 routes between major European cities, it’s been found that trains on average were twice as expensive, and four times as much for routes to and from the UK.
While long-haul international flight prices have been soaring in recent years, short-haul international ticket prices in Europe have been dramatically reduced thanks to low-cost airlines. These more affordable flights are often less direct and include flight transfers. It may be an inexpensive option, but it’s also emitting up to 10 times as much greenhouse gas, claims Greenpeace. Travel from London to Brussels via Denmark, and Manchester to Cologne, via Dublin, are among the popular routes that cost less but have greater travel times.
Slow and eco travel is at the forefront of travellers minds now. People want to travel sustainably and train travel allows them to do so. Train passengers also like the convenience and speed of rail travel. Airports and airlines have suffered from strikes, long wait times, lost luggage dilemmas and cancelled flights, making train travel more reliable. Plus, low-cost tickets often equates to long times in transit. Rail is now the convenient option for travellers.
Planes emit on average 4.84 times more greenhouse gas emissions than trains according to data from the European Environment Agency. For example, take the Barcelona-London route. Low-cost airlines offer fares for as little as €12.99, a price that train companies are unable to compete with. If all flights were shifted to rails (and trains had the capacity to replace 3.36 million annual flights), approximately 461,000 tons of greenhouse gases could be saved, which is the equivalent of the annual emissions of all cars in Glasgow.
