Rather train or plane? For many French people, the choice remains a question of price. A train journey across Europe is on average twice as expensive as a flight, according to a report by the environmental NGO Greenpeace published on Thursday 20 July. “Why pay €322 for a Paris-Valence train ticket when the same plane journey costs €25.99?”, laments the NGO.
To arrive at these results, Greenpeace analyzed train and airline fares over 9 days, on 112 different European routes. Result: the plane is cheaper than the train on 79 routes. Barcelona-London wins the palm, with a train ticket thirty times more expensive than the plane ticket.
However, air transport is much more polluting than rail. A Paris-Marseille train only emits 1.8 kg of CO2 according to Ademe figures, compared to 135 kg by plane. In general, commercial aviation is responsible for between 2 and 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to various estimates. But “European institutions and governments continue to subsidize climate change by giving gifts to airlines and airports”, denounces Greenpeace. She cites as an example the exemption from kerosene tax and VAT on international flights.
2.6 times more expensive in France
France is one of the bad students. Journeys leaving France are on average 2.6 times more expensive by train than by plane. This makes it the third biggest price difference in Europe, tied with Belgium. They are both behind Spain (where a train ticket is around 3.9 times more expensive than a plane ticket) and the United Kingdom (4 times). On the contrary, the gaps are reduced in Poland (0.5 times), Sweden (1.3 times), Norway and the Czech Republic (1.4 times).
In order to encourage consumers to opt for the train, Greenpeace recommends the end of subsidies granted to the airline sector. The NGO also believes that rail transport must be made more affordable, for example by introducing more reduced fares and night services. Finally, it pleads for the creation of a “national climate ticket”. This initiative was launched in May in Germany, where an annual ticket at 49 euros offers unlimited access to local buses, metros and trains.