Over the last four years with a combination of newer, faster and more comfortable trains, along with better train tracks, technology and competition between companies, train travel in the UK and Europe has increased its share of medium to long distance travel. There will be great figures from many European countries but here are a few examples. I think they are figures of competition between flying and trains for fast and convenient comfortable travel.
London to Edinburgh trains, from 33% of market share up to 63%. That is substantial and has killed domestic airline flights, but it should be even better.
Madrid to Barcelona, 12% of market share by trains up to 73%. The train is very fast.
Milan to Rome, 36% of market share to 80%. This too is a very fast train.
Carefully controlled competition between train companies, often against a government owned rail operator has improved services no end.
Four companies compete on the Madrid to Barcelona train route and they are very fast trains at a cost well below flying, making travelling between the two major cities a no brainer decision.
The Italian designed and manufactured train running under the brand Iryo is the best looker and perhaps the best choice, depending on your needs. It's interior was designed by a famous Italian interior designer, so famous I can't recall his name, and it's beautiful and ultra comfortable.
We in the Antipodes can only look on with envy and wonder why we can't have such a train company or four to choose on one of the world's busiest flight route, Melbourne and Sydney. The flight is longer than it once was as there can be lot of taxi time in Sydney and to allow for plane congestion in Sydney, but even so, at 80 minutes as against 11 hours by train, well, what can I say. There is no defence.
The Italian train Frecciarossa 1000, running high speed, 300 km/h I think, between Madrid and Barcelona.
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The Italian train is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it ever JB.
DeleteIf we had a very fast train I would always choose it over flying. And aren't they gorgeous looking beasts as well...
ReplyDeleteEC, most are but there is a high speed Spanish train that has been nicknamed Duck Bill.
DeleteThe Italians do style exceptionally well.
ReplyDeleteNo denying that, JayCee.
DeleteI suppose it depends on your reason for travel. I am a visitor in Europe and always want the pleasure of landscapes and cityscapes on the trains. Locals just want to get on with business.
ReplyDeleteHels, I understand. These trains are great to get somewhere fast and in comfort but not for scenic travel.
DeleteI used to have the obsession to chase the fastest speed a train could have. Then everything moves so fast that I can barely see the scenery along the way. These trains all have aerodynamic look to them all.
ReplyDeleteRoentare, that is true. They are too fast for scenic travel. I note the country of your birth has high speed trains too.
DeleteFancy, fancy. The United States are so far behind in public transport. When we down to Spokane to see our offspring. Between hubby and my conversation we mention that there real no reason of some kind of public transport between North Idaho towns.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on, and stay safe.
Dora, Australia and the US are similar in some respects in that small towns cannot be serviced by trains, but our and your large cities should have some high speed trains, like between Washington and NYC.
DeleteA designer "so famous I can't recall his name". Was it Benito Mussolini?
ReplyDeleteMaybe the old poof Cardin? Nah, he was a frog, not an eytie. True though, he is ruly ruly famous.
DeleteI repeat myself by saying that my husband and I adore trains. Heh... Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDarla, and you had some wonderful scenic Amtrak train trips to enjoy, just not high speed.
DeleteAmerica is the worst. High speed rail travel would be a wonderful thing in getting around this country and saving time and stress. We are soooo backwards here.
ReplyDeleteBob, a good bit of the problem is that your train lines are owned by private companies rather than the government. These companies up to a point can dictate what happens on their lines. But if will is applied, like for the line from Washington to NYC, it can happen.
DeleteI love these new trains, especially the Italian one. If you can believe it, I travelled around Europe on wooden seats in trains way back in prehistoric times.
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
I do indeed remember that WWW. It was adventure travel back then, and adventurous it was.
DeleteI haven't done any long distance train travel for a very long time. I remember the kids were very small but don't remember how many kids, it has to have been a time when we were between cars. I'm wondering now about the Indian-Pacific which I saw recently coming in to Adelaide, looks like it hasn't had any upgrading at all. Ever. But it does the job and once you are inside, who cares what the outside looks like?
ReplyDeleteRiver, the Indian Pacific engine may look old, but it will be very reliable. I thought the outside looked ok and I know the interior is quite luxurious.
DeleteWouldn't it be just great if there was a very fast train that went between all of our cities and cheaper than planes, oh well I can dream.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Margaret. How about one between Launceston and Hobart at 200 km/h. That's a one hour trip. It would be an expensive project but there for years to come and connect the two cities so well.
DeleteI love them too, but I wish that all of the seats were next to windows. Sometimes you get a blank wall.
ReplyDeleteTasker, known as seat to window alignment and some companies do it well and some are so bloody uncaring about the matter. When the seating layout is planned, it is about the passenger experience or the private company profit to fit more seats in. The latter wins at times.
DeleteTrains may be wonderful, high speed whatever you want, but they are very expensive ! far more than a plane ! I would rather take a train than an airplane, but the fees are sometimes 3 x more expensive. The Eurostar in low season on some days costs one way 44 € sounds good, but now in July and August (holiday season) the cheapest ticket you can get is 168 one way !!! quite a difference ! The airplane is cheaper though is the ferry.
ReplyDeleteGattina, isn't it the same for planes and international trains? You look for cheap seats. Eurostar does seem overpriced at the moment, but I remember the Thalys train from Amsterdam to Brussels Midi was quite cheap in 2014. I don't really think about ferries, and I probably should.
DeleteI do love taking a train over flying if I can help it. In fact I've never taken an internal flight within the UK.
ReplyDeleteSteve, flying in the UK certainly would not be my preference.
DeleteOur government subsidized amtrak routes in the west are limited and extremely slow and expensive too. Often you have to off load to a bus for parts. If you have forever and a day and a lot of money you could go a few places on them. But once you hit your destination station, then you have to have money to go where you want to go. Anyhow....if we had fast affordable trains, that would be nice!
ReplyDeleteStrayer, I haven't heard of the offloading to a bus and I've looked at clips of all the major Amtrak routes. The trains are slow and notoriously run late often, so they are used as much for the travel experience rather than as legitimate transport. There are some shorter distances where high speed trains could be feasible, like the one from New York to Washington.
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