Train travel is experiencing a significant resurgence, and Europeans are fully embracing it, as indicated by recent studies.
A study involving 11,000 participants, initiated by railway company Hitachi Rail, revealed that nearly half of those surveyed plan to increase their train usage and decrease air travel over the coming five years.
Worldwide, more than seven out of every ten people stated they would increase their usage of public transportation if it had better connectivity. Additionally, over half indicated they would opt for it even if the costs went up.
Train travel is increasing across Europe.
New findings indicate that people across Europe and in North America expect rail travel to increase significantly in the upcoming years, with air travel seeing less demand as a result.
Currently, rail travel makes up approximately one-third (29 percent) of all long-distance trips, defined as journeys lasting 2.5 hours or longer.
One-third of people surveyed also expect to travel more by
train
In the coming 12 months. For rail travel over the next half-decade, this rises to 40 percent between countries and 49 percent within cities.
In contrast,
plane travel
is expected to remain stagnant, with approximately 2 percent anticipating increased travel during the same timeframe.
Participants indicated that they expect their car travel to increase, though only half as much compared to rail.
Two-thirds of Europeans support prohibiting short-haul flights.
The desire for increased train travel in the future is also supported by a substantial majority (62 percent) who endorse passing new laws to
ban short-haul flights
where
high-speed rail alternatives
exist.
Across Europe, as more high-speed rail lines become available, the approval rating increases to 67 percent.
This kind of legislation has already been implemented in France, and has also been suggested elsewhere.
Spain
too.
The study revealed that in each country, over double the number of participants supported the ban compared to those who were against it. Both sets of survey respondents expressed willingness to back stricter additional laws, with 63 percent in Spain and 56 percent in France indicating their approval.
In every location surveyed, a greater number of individuals supported allocating funds for new initiatives.
rail
Infrastructure supported by higher aviation or highway levies compared to those who oppose it.
The study likewise delved into methods for increasing public transportation use, where riders pointed out overcrowding, cost, and convenience as their major concerns.
In every country surveyed, more than seven out of ten people stated they would increase their usage of public transportation if it had better connections. Even if fares were higher, this sentiment stayed above half among respondents.
“According to those surveyed, rail use is expected to rise more significantly compared to other modes of transportation over the next half-decade, and they back governmental efforts to facilitate this,” stated Edoardo La Ficara, who serves as the group chief markets officer at Hitachi Rail.
As an industry, we have a vital chance to address this public desire through facilitating a significant shift towards sustainable mobility.
