A recent report by Greenpeace sheds light on one of the primary reasons people prefer air travel over trains: exorbitant prices. The report analyzed 112 European routes and compared air and rail fares on multiple occasions. The results painted a concerning picture, with train tickets proving to be twice as expensive as flights on average, despite being a more sustainable transportation mode.
The report revealed that in the majority of cases (79 out of the 112 analyzed routes), flights are considerably cheaper than train tickets. For instance, a journey from London to Barcelona, in May, by train can cost a traveler up to a staggering €384, when booked two days before departure, while budget airlines offer the same route, booked in the same time span, for a mere €12.99 – making this the route showing the highest price difference in this analysis, with the train ticket costing up to 30 times the price of the flight.
With 3.36 million people traveling the route in 2019, this is the third most sought-after short-haul air route in Europe. According to Greenpeace, the damage of travelers opting for flights instead of rail travel is the equivalent to the annual emissions of over 3000,000 cars. If the same number of passengers were to travel by train instead of plane, 461,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions would have been saved.
UK, Spain, Belgium, France, and Italy are among the countries experiencing the most exorbitant train fares compared to flights. Some of the routes between major European cities, such as London–Bratislava (train 15.5 times more expensive than flight), Budapest–Brussels (12.5 times), Madrid–Brussels (15 times), Valencia–Paris (12 times) or Rome-Vienna (10.2 times) also presented extremely high price differences.
The report also notes that only 23 out of the 112 routes analyzed consistently offered more affordable train options, with the remaining routes either having unfavorable train connections or lacking a train alternative altogether. Compared to Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe were found to often have the cheaper trains in relation to flights. However, the connections and services are usually worse than in Western countries, so are train frequency and speed. Airlines gain yet another advantage by selling tickets in advance, while some railway companies do not sell tickets more than 2 or 3 months ahead.
The price discrepancies between train and flight options showed by Greenpeace’s report, raise questions about accessibility, affordability and fairness in the transportation sector and exemplify the challenge faced by climate-conscious travelers. “For the planet and people’s sake, politicians must act to turn this situation around and make taking the train the more affordable option”, stated Lorelei Limousin, Greenpeace’s EU senior climate campaigner, while alerting to the situation’s climate consequences, such as heatwaves, like the one currently happening in Southern Europe.
Amid the pressing climate crisis, the aviation industry stands as one of the world’s most damaging contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, with planes emitting on average nearly five times more than trains, as reported by the European Environment Agency. Astonishingly, only 1% of the global population is responsible for more than half of aviation’s climate impact, affecting communities worldwide with extreme weather events, pollution-related illnesses, and noise disruptions.
Despite the urgency of the situation, the aviation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions continue to escalate, making it the fastest-growing source of transport-related emissions in the EU. Low-cost carriers also contribute to the expansion of aviation, with budget airlines operating on 79% of the analyzed routes. Their rapid growth exacerbates the environmental impact of the aviation industry, even though they often boast newer fleets and less environmentally damaging aircraft.
This report highlights once again how unjustified tax exemptions allow airlines to offer absurdly cheap plane tickets, while rail operators must pay a heavy price for energy and rail tracks tolls.
Victor Thévenet, rail coordinator at Transport & Environment
Notwithstanding the stark difference of emissions between trains and flights, a study by green group Transport & Environment the aviation sector enjoys tax exemptions on kerosene in the EU, while railways face no similar energy-source exemptions. The group’s figures indicate that EU governments lose out on an estimated 4 million euros per hour in potential aviation taxes, including on kerosene. “Governments must remove airlines’ tax exemptions, such as from fuel taxes and VAT, as well as reduce rail tracks tolls”, said Victor Thévenet, rail coordinator at Transport & Environment.
Aiming to highlight the stark price differences between train and flight tickets, Greenpeace’s report emphasizes the need for a fair pricing system to make mobility in Europe affordable and efficient and the introduction of climate tickets to foster sustainable mobility and combat climate change in Europe.
The concept of “climate tickets” has recently been introduced by the organization, aiming to provide European citizens with accessible, long-term tickets valid for all forms of public transport, including national trains and cross-border services. To finance these initiatives, Greenpeace suggests phasing out airline and airport subsidies and implementing a fair taxation system based on CO2 emissions, pushing for a much-needed shift from air to rail travel, aligning with Europe’s climate goals.
