Traveling from France to a European metropolis by train costs twice as much as by plane – Liberation

2023-07-24 12:44:23

A European report by Greenpeace compares the price of tickets on land and in the sky in twenty-seven countries of the Old Continent. The rail, ecologically virtuous, remains much more expensive than low-cost flights.

The generalization of train travel seems to be (still) only a distant utopia. At the time of summer departures, a European report by Greenpeacepublished Thursday, July 20, reveals that traveling in France by rail costs “2.6 times more expensive” than to travel by air, all routes combined and with the same route. A phenomenon which, moreover, also affects the twenty-six other European countries studied under the magnifying glass by the NGO. As a general rule, a train ticket linking two major European cities will be worth twice as much as the plane. Sometimes the prices are beyond comprehension. Of the 112 deciphered routes, it is the Barcelona – London axis that wins the prize for the biggest difference. Rail can be thirty times higher than air for same day travel. And if flying is attractive, it often means that the rail alternative is “either very slow or very bad, like Tallinn – Riga and Warsaw (Poland) – Ljubljana (Slovenia)”warns Greenpeace.

France is not spared, and is even one of the worst students, in third position, tied with Belgium, behind the United Kingdom (4 times) and Spain (3.9 times). This, while air pollutes up to eighty times more than rail per trip and per passenger, in reverse, therefore, of the fight against climate change, recalls the environmental organization. “It is worrying, but not new. This confirms the feeling of many people., reacts Charlène Fleury, spokesperson for the Stay on Earth association. And Anthony Yaba, from Alternatiba, added: “We see it ourselves as users.”

To arrive at these results, Greenpeace compared, between April 25 and July 12, the prices of tickets for twenty routes of less than 1,500 kilometers from major French cities to European cities and capitals. These trips were to be “reasonably traveled by train, that is to say in one day, or by night train or with connections not exceeding 24 hours of travel”, details the NGO. The fares were then analyzed according to three time perspectives: a ticket purchased one week before departure, then thirty days, and finally four months. Conclusion: 17 of the 20 routes are mostly cheaper by plane.

Marseille – London 6.7 times more expensive by train

On some lines, the difference is aberrant. A trip from Paris to Valencia (Spain) can thus be up to twelve times more expensive (322 euros against 25.99, quotes Greenpeace) by land. And “the average ratio is 6.7 times for a Marseille – London”, continues the study. Admittedly, there are a few exceptions, but these advantageous rail fares are only available on certain days of the week. Also, faced with these abysmal gaps, the choice of French people dreaming of escaping to Europe is quickly made. The same applies to those wishing to reach Strasbourg from Bordeaux, or Paris from Toulouse (one of the busiest lines). There, “while there are very efficient rail links”, flights are still more attractive. Nevertheless, “many people are ready to take the train”, points out Anthony Yaba. According to a recent barometer of Greenpeace France, 18-34 year olds are 84% in favor of a rebalancing of tariffs.

But the current situation does not encourage transition. 10% VAT instead of 20% for short haul, no VAT for international flights, untaxed kerosene… “The political and tax system is very advantageous” for the aviation sector, explains Valentin Desfontaines, mobility manager at Réseau action climat. Conversely, rail must pay tolls (40% of the ticket price), as on the motorways, and a 20% tax on its electricity consumption to run its trains. An imbalance which, today, “does not allow the train to offer cheaper fares”, says the expert. And in recent years, due to runaway inflation, the price of rail keeps risingwhile offers are made from less and less advantageous. Added to all this is the omnipresence of low-cost airlines which, thanks to “unfair and aggressive pricing practices”, may offer lower tickets than the traditional airline market, criticizes Greenpeace. In the report, out of the twenty lines studied in France, only one of them, the Nice – Munich, is not operated by a low-cost company.

To remedy this, environmental organizations almost all put forward the same solutions. First, according to them, the government must have “political courage” to tax kerosene. “In 2022, the shortfall linked to the tax advantages of the air sector is estimated at 4.7 billion euros per year for France, calcule Greenpeace. With the conservative assumption of a full recovery of traffic in 2025, this shortfall will climb to 6.1 billion euros per year by then. So much money that could finance the revival of night trains and, for example, allow the creation of a “climate ticket” as in Germany, affirm the various representatives of associations. And why not, agrees Charlène Fleury, put in place a progressive tax on very frequent travelers. “From the second plane, the ticket would become more expensive, and so on”she unfolds.

Nevertheless, all have little hope that this will change quickly. “There have recently been positive messagesbegins Valentin Desfontaines, referring to the one hundred billion euros of investments in the rail sector – part of which should be levied via a tax on the airline sector – announced by the Minister of Transport at the beginning of June. But that is not enough, actions must follow.” Above all, the executive’s speech remains contradictory for the moment: on July 18, investigative media the Informed revealed that the airline between Strasbourg and Berlin stopped in 1999, was going to be relaunched thanks, among other things, to the support of the French State, which plans to invest 4.5 million euros in it.

1690241350
#Traveling #France #European #metropolis #train #costs #plane #Liberation