Europe's High-Speed Train Networks Continue to Expand
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 01.13.08
While those of us who live in the U.S. continue to (vainly) pine for better, more reliable public transit systems - let alone high-speed train networks - our European brethren, having already enjoyed a bumper crop year of train-related developments, will soon witness the creation of a new, pan-European rail network. This past July, seven operators joined forces to form Railteam, an alliance working to build a high-speed train network spanning all of Western Europe. "The idea of a European network of high-speed rail is at last being realized. It will be a real alternative to air travel," said Guillaume Pépy, chief executive of France's SNCF and chairman of Eurostar, a train service that links Britain with the rest of Europe.
Though Railteam currently lacks operators in Italy, Spain and Portugal - due to their lesser-developed rail networks - that will likely all change in the coming years, as several new lines, including one linking Madrid to Barcelona, are completed. Pépy predicts that it should be possible to travel by high-speed train from Paris to Bratislavia within the next 15 years. In a decision sure to move these developments along, the European Union last year approved legislation that will require national rail systems to open up to operators from other countries by 2010.
Railteam has already set up a common reservation system - similar to those operated by airline alliances - that will begin operations in 2009; furthermore, in an effort to appeal to potential customers who might otherwise opt for flying over riding the train, it has also pledged to offer a frequent-traveler program. Train executives are banking on travelers' new-found interest in energy efficiency and lower carbon footprints to buoy their networks' expansions; the allure of solid profits - a roundtrip, first-class ticket between London and Paris can cost upwards of $866 (though coach tickets can be found for $120) - has also made high-speed trains a winner in the corporate playbooks.
Via ::BusinessWeek: High-Speed Trains Erode Europe's Borders (news website), ::Gristmill: High-speed rail (blog)
See also: ::Britain's First Biodiesel Train Takes to the Tracks, ::Taking the Train to New York: The Only Way to Fly
Image courtesy of lorelei via flickr
'European Union last year approved legislation that will require national rail systems to open up to operators from other countries by 2010.'
---Well, this is indeed good news if it comes to fruition. A little competition will go a long way to lowering prices and improving services.
Though the initative is excellent then it will take 20 years or more before the railroads all the way thru those countries are truly highspeed. European countries do have good initatives but also its flaws due to member-states implements things in much different speed for various reasons.
No doubt it is a good idea due to increasing air traffic and Denmark and Sweden has certainly done their part by building bridges between them so slow ferries have been replaced with bridgets that carries both trains and cars.
Also, Denmark has been considering making a bridge from south of Sjaelland directly to Germany - thereby saving several hours and hundreds of kilometers of travel distance - whether by car or train.
However, right now Denmark has decided to squander 7-8 billion USD on some needless US fighter airplanes they do not need (thanks to King Bush) - money they could instead have used on something constructive like building that bridge.
"a roundtrip, first-class ticket between London and Paris can cost upwards of $866"
A round-trip, London-Paris tickets £59 = $115; if you are able to travel outside peak times. £10 less if you're under 25. 2 hours 15 minutes each way.
(I notice that the 'business premiere' tickets have all sold out for the days and times I chose, so people clearly do buy those $866 tickets)
Virginia is so far behind. I just drove two hours from Richmond to Norfolk to visit my mother.
And then I have to watch all these coal trains go by my house!
I amn a big fan of railway investments, but I still have to be a bit grumpy again and give some critical comments:
Every new means of transportation will cause extra transport. For example In France the TGV has enabled people to commute over very long distances. Many of the passengers have not changed from plain to train, but from stain' * to train.
(*=staying at home, anything for the bad rhyme)
High speed railway lines are usually prestige projects, absorbing huge amounts of public money. For example, for the relatively short part of the HSL in the Netherlands the final costs where 222 million Euro over budget. It is a question of this money would not have been better spent on fine meshed local public transport that gets people out of cars.
My girlfriend and I are trying to avoid travelling by plane anymore. Last summer we bought Eurorail passes and Eurostar tickets and travelled from Bristol, England to London, London to Paris on the Eurostar, then took TGV fast trains across the border to Milan, Italy, followed by another high speed service run by Eurostar Italia to Florence, where we spent most of our holiday. Then we did the same in reverse.
The speed is incredible - on the way back we left Florence at 11am and ended up in Paris by 11pm. The views from the train as it crosses over and under the alps are incredible and the seats/carriages are very comfy. IT was a lot more than travelling by plane (around £300 a person for all the train fares) but it gave us the freedom to go anywhere and actually experience travel rather than just sitting in the atmosphere waiting to get to the next airport.
The majority of the US is comically far behind Europe when it comes to mass transit implementation. Comically, bordering on criminally far behind.
The notable exception being New York City.
The train in that picture actually is a regional train, not that fast due to regular stops, but a doubledecker and very comfortable.
I bet I've sat in that very train already :).
Sorry, but I don't by this anymore.
Why that is ? Well from my own personnal experience.
I live in Belgium, my Girlfriend in Germany: the distance amounts to about 300Km. At first we only traveled by train, and although it took some 4 hours that was ok. The train journey was quite simple with one change and an affordable ticket.
Then the trainservice was canceled and the Thalys was introduced and marketed as the big innovation. But what an innovation: the train journey now lasts one hour extra (yes an extra 25% travel time with an extra change-over), a doubling of the ticket price (when lucky, often you have to pay even more) and as a bonus you get dirty worn-out seats (they have not been refurbished for over 10 years). Sorry, I forgot to mention that the seating was designed for midgets, I mean real midgets! The seating is so cramped that if you're over 1,5m (5foot) it's awkward.
Although I'm really eco-minded, we only did this for a couple of months and ended up buying a car! Now, our travel time is reduced to 3 hours (instead of 5 hours with the "superfast" train) and the total ownership cost of the car is actually less than buying a train-ticket every weekend.
So for me these "supadupa" train connections do not cut it. I suppose i'm not the only one in such a situation, but you won't find many stories in the general press about us ...
But let me give you another example.
If you could choose to fly form Brussels-south to Barcelona for 20 euro (+30 euro to get to/from the airport), would you rather take the train that actually would cost something like 300 euro??? It makes no economic sense, only eco-sense.
I'm no millionaire, so guess what I'm doing ... !
So, unless these "supadupa-mega-fast-trains" are getting cheaper they are not a real alternative !
An ex frequent user
It's true. I'm not sure how green this really is. I have to echo Pieter when he mentions how this will not necessarily get people out of their cars, but perhaps get people out of their couches. That is not entirely a bad thing, BUT this might not necessarily be more environmentally friendly. And if people do not use it, it might be actually less environmentally friendly. I'm not entirely sure how good local bus and public transport service is in these parts of Europe, but I would first concentrate on that, then work on the high speed rail system.
What about the Maglev trains. They use electromagnetic propulsion which makes them extremely energy efficient while traveling at speeds higher than any "high speed train" has ever recorded. The major drawback is infrastructure. Maglev trains and normal trains are not compatible and would demand massive and expensive construction projects.