A majority of people in Europe and North America support the growth of train travel, a new survey has found. The Hitachi Rail study asked 11,000 respondents across North Amercia and Europe, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, about their travel views and intentions.
Nearly half those surveyed expect long-distance train travel to increase in the next five years. Over 70% say they would use public transport more if it were between connected, even if it cost more. A whopping two-thirds of Europeans would go further, supporting bans on short haul flights where high speed rail alternatives exist.
While rail currently accounts for around one-third (29%) of long-distance journeys – judged as 2.5 hours or more – one-third of people also expect to travel more by train in the next 12 months, increasing to between 40% (across countries) and 49% (across cities) in the next five years, the report found. By contrast, plane travel is set to stagnate, with only net 2% expecting to fly more in this time period. Respondents also anticipate their car travel growing but 50% less than rail.
The research, carried out by SavantaComres, notes that rail currently accounts for around one-third (29%) of long-distance journeys – judged as 2.5 hours or more. One third of people also expect to travel more by train in the next 12 months, increasing to between 40% (across countries) and 49% (across cities) in the next five years. By contrast, plane travel is “set to stagnate,” if the tiny 2% expecting to fly more in this time period reflect wider trends. Respondents also anticipate their car travel growing but only half as much as rail.
In a press release, Hitachi Rail said legislating to ban short flights is backed by “a clear majority (62%), and points out that support rises to 67% in Europe, which already benefits from a number of high speed rail routes. The laws already passed in France and Spain enjoy widespread support, the statement says “with over twice as many respondents supporting it as opposing it. Those surveyed in both countries would even support stronger additional legislation (63% in Spain and 56% in France).”
New rail infrastructure is also popular, with those calling for funding to come from air or road taxes outnumbering opponents. Edoardo La Ficara, Group Chief Markets Officer, Hitachi Rail, said the results were “strikingly clear” and showed that respondents “expect to increase their rail usage more than any other form of transport in the next five years and they support Government action to enable this. We, as an industry, have a crucial opportunity to meet this public demand by delivering a great sustainable mobility transition.”
