Greenpeace is calling for greater investment in European railways to create more direct train routes and encourage a reduction in air travel. A new analysis conducted by Greenpeace has revealed that there are six times as many direct flight connections between European cities compared to direct train connections. The study, which examined 990 routes between 45 major European cities, found that only 114 routes (12 per cent) are served by direct train connections. While another 305 routes (31 per cent) have the potential for direct train connections using existing tracks, these routes are not currently in use. In stark contrast, 69 per cent of the 990 routes are served by direct flights. Greenpeace argues that this imbalance encourages people to choose flying over train travel.
Herwig Schuster, a transport campaigner for Central and Eastern Europe, highlights the lack of support for rail infrastructure, stating, “For years, Europe has rolled out the red carpet for climate-damaging air travel, showering it with tax breaks, while trains and rail infrastructure have withered away.” Greenpeace emphasizes that none of the cities analyzed fully utilize their potential for direct train connections. Vienna leads the way with 17 direct train connections, followed by Munich with 15 connections, and Berlin, Zurich, and Paris with 13 connections each. On the other end of the spectrum, six cities lack any direct train connections to the other cities analyzed: Athens, Lisbon, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, and Tallinn.
Dr Alberto Mazzola, executive director of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), acknowledges the importance of journey duration in passenger preferences. In an interview with Euronews, he emphasizes, “If there’s a journey of 18 hours, very few will take the train even if we can sell the ticket.” To address this challenge, Mazzola advocates for connecting all European capitals and major cities by high-speed rail, urging the EU to provide more funding for infrastructure development.
A report by the European Commission highlights the stagnation of long-distance passenger cross-border services in the EU, which remained unchanged from 2001 to 2019, accounting for only about seven per cent of train journeys in Europe. Furthermore, the total number of passenger trains in Europe declined from 1,257 per week in 2001 to 445 in 2019, although some lines have been reintroduced since 2019. To boost passenger numbers and encourage wider adoption of train travel, Greenpeace is calling on national governments and the EU to support the development of direct train services. This includes investing in infrastructure, fostering better cooperation between rail companies, and mandating direct train services where they are not yet commercially viable.
Schuster concludes, “It’s time for European governments and the EU to correct this historic imbalance. Europeans deserve access to clean, efficient, comfortable, and affordable public transport that is good for them and good for the planet.”
