Could TRAINS replace airplanes in EUROPE?
Cheap flights became popular in Europe two decades ago. With the rise of low-cost airlines, low-income people were able to access travel that was previously unavailable to them, so they took advantage of the low prices by traveling and exploring new countries under the idea of free movement between European Union countries. However, this increase in the number of flights started to attract the attention of climate activists. In fact, there is a European movement called "Flight Shame" that encourages people to stop using flights as a means of transportation and replace them with less polluting ones such as trains. The Flight Shame movement was popularized by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and promotes the idea that people should be ashamed to use airplanes because of the negative impact they have on the environment. Now European governments and groups are doing everything they can to get people to abandon their habits and stop using airplanes. An increasing number of countries have plans to eliminate short-haul flights that could be made by train. For example France has become one of the first to do so; it banned short domestic flights of less than 2 hours and half when there is an alternative by train. So the questions are: What is the European Union's plan to replace air travel with rail? What are the main obstacles to this plan? And why is there a risk that it will end up failing like China's high-speed rail network?
Some sources of interest:
- The Economist (2023). How trains could replace planes in Europe
www.economist.com/europe/2021...
- The Washington Post (2023). Would you give up planes for these trains?
www.washingtonpost.com/climat...
Music:
Whatdafunk by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
#economicsnation #europe
Yes, but you have to place congestion tax for road traffic, especially around & in cities - otherwise it would be impossible.
I have to travel for work between Germany, Netherlands, Brussels and Austria. I almost always take the train. Flying is just such a waste of time. You need to be at the airport 2 Hours before departure, go through security, sit in an uncomfortable plane, etc. You don't get any work done because you are constantly moving. With trains I just hop on, sit down, open my laptop and start working. Super easy. If I travel for leisure, I just book in advance to get super cheap deals, cheaper than flying. Also, it is not true their airlines are not subsidized. Germany has paid billions to Lufthansa. Other countries have also spent billions on their national carrier.
The EU is on the wrong track. Let the free market decide. China has to invest massive subsidies into its high speed rail network. And this in a country of more than 1 billion people.
@rong240: "Let the free market decide" The market you refer to isn't even "free" from the outset Market Distorting Factor Number 1: Taxation policy - Aviation fuel is NOT taxed but the energy driving potentially carbon neutral trains IS taxed - how is that a fair competitive arena?? Market Distorting Factor Number 2: Many National and sub-National state actors subsidise short-haul air links with grants/tax breaks etc. in the misguided view that such fiscal tools help to promote local economic activity. Market Distorting Factor Number 3: Short haul air dumps its waste products into the wider environment yet it pays nothing into central coffers to help mitigate the environmental damage it causes. So there is no "free market" operating - the market you extol is rigged in favour of short haul air in this particular instance. In order for a "free market" to operate, High Speed Rail [HSR] must be assisted to function on a level playing field with its short haul air rival - that means creating/constructing a truly pan-European network of real High Speed (250km/h or greater) lines linking up more or less ALL large population centres (2 million or greater?) across the continent. There are a few areas where this "fair" competitive environment already exists - take for example, the corridor between Bruxelles and Paris - what happens when fair competition is enabled - HSR wins the contest every single time! In other words, when HSR and Short-Haul Air actually begin to compete on something approaching a level playing field, consumers vote with their wallets and say no thanks to Short Haul Air. There are ZERO short haul commercial flights now operating between Bruxelles and Paris. We should also not forget the "free market" example provided by Air-Inter and its successor Air-Littoral, both specialising in the short haul air, largely domestic marketplace - both went bankrupt, out competed by their HSR rival, AKA Train à Grande Vitesse!!!
*High speed rails are far more efficient, effective, safe, and affordable. It works for Japan and Europe. It works well for China, too. I'm right-wing, but this is something the left-wing is correct about. Right-wingers are stupid when it comes to car-centric urban planning and the use of airplanes over high speed rails.*
It’s now become apparent that China’s high speed trains are unaffordable and would be bankrupt without massive government subsidies. And this is in China with more than 1 billion people. The EU is on the wrong track. I will use the travel option I want. Stay out of my business.