CNN was like, Let’s do an article about up-and-coming European trains, make the future seem hopeful, and let’s do it so in-depth that even train lovers need to pause for an occasional swig.
The result is this epic article.
I’d read the whole thing if I were you. Here are some juicy excerpts.
“Since the 1990s, France's world-famous Trains a Grand Vitesse (TGVs) have spread far beyond their home country as new lines have allowed TGVs radiating from Paris to reach Brussels, Cologne, Amsterdam, London, Barcelona, Milan, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Zurich and Munich.
“Although these superb trains have revolutionized journeys on specific routes, international rail travel in Europe remains a disjointed affair, hampered by a lack of coordination between operators on timetables, ticketing and marketing.
“A combination of inertia, increasing costs, protectionism and the exponential growth in short-haul flights over the past 20 years meant that in 2018, 149 of the 365 cross-border rail links that once existed in Europe were not being exploited.”
Let’s face it, it’s easier to fly from France to Poland than it is to take the train(s). And much cheaper, which just goes to show how Co2 emissions are still not particularly tied to price. This will change.
“In September 2020, German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer raised eyebrows across the continent by suggesting that the network of international routes that blossomed in the 1960s and 1970s could form the template for new "TEE 2.0" services from 2025.
“Scheuer added that countries will need to identify where "inadequate rail services" exist and that national routes should be "chained together" to build international services.
“Those aspirations tally with a pledge signed by 25 EU transport ministers in June to boost the market competitiveness of rail journeys of up to 500 miles.”
First, despite appearances, the Germans are lagging on this one, especially when it comes to night trains. Second, any flight of less than 500 miles in Europe should be illegal. France is already on the way to enacting this kind of thing by banning flights where there’s a high-speed train that can do the trip in less than 2.5 hours. That’s 600-700km worth of distance right there.
More on flights vs trains:
“According to the report, a flight from Paris to Berlin creates at least six times the carbon dioxide emissions of a similar train journey. Flights of less than 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) between and within European countries are estimated to create 28 million metric tonnes of CO2 every year.
“Importantly, 17 of the 20 busiest air routes in Europe cover distances less than 434 miles (700 kilometers).”
Those 17 air routes need to die.
“The report says: "What is needed is a European spirit in planning and management of rail services, and start-up support for new international services, reviving the spirit of the original TEE network."
Good luck with that. The French and the Germans think they’re special and that this all revolves around them and their cold hard cash and the power that comes with it. Until this changes, progress is gonna be slooooooow.
“Longer term, new infrastructure such as the Brenner Base Tunnel between Innsbruck, Vienna, and Verona, Italy, and the $8.2 biilion Fehmarn Belt fixed link between Germany and Denmark will enable much faster and more frequent international services between major cities.
“In the case of the latter, work has just started on the 12-mile submerged rail/road tunnel under the Baltic Sea that will help to slash two hours and more than 100 miles off the current Hamburg-Copenhagen EuroCity schedule when it opens in 2028.
“Completely rebuilt and electrified 125mph (200kph) approach lines on both sides will transform journeys between Germany and Denmark and open up new possibilities for onward travel by rail into Sweden via the spectacular Oresund Bridge.”
Extra cool. On the map, it’s about 300km between Hamburg and Copenhagen as the crow flies. A fast train on this direct route will be in the 1-2 hour range. Amazeballs.
And the advantages of shaving off two hours means longer cross-Europe trips become more doable. Imagine if they brought in a Paris-Hamburg night train and say it took 9 hours, from 10 pm - 7 am. You could then get Eurostars to connect up with it in Paris from London, leaving London at around 6 pm. And at the other end, the train could continue on to Copenhagen at around 8:30 am. You’d get people from the UK and France to Hamburg and Copenhagen overnight, and vice versa. Great!
“Also due to open in 2028, the $10 billion Brenner Base Tunnel is being driven under the Tyrol Alps. Designed as much for freight as passengers, the 40-mile-long tunnels will cut travel times on the Munich-Verona-Rome route by eliminating the steep climbs over the Brenner Pass and reducing the Innsbruck-Bolzano journey from two hours to just 50 minutes.
“These major projects will allow the introduction of new high-speed daytime trains on more routes, including Rome-Verona-Munich-Berlin, Stockholm-Hamburg-Paris, Stockholm-Berlin-Munich and Paris-Munich-Budapest.”
So good.
And let’s not forget about Central and Eastern Europe! (Yes, I warned you, this article is epic):
“Poland and the Czech Republic in particular are already engaged in detailed planning work for new lines that could dramatically improve journey times both domestically and with their neighbors.
“In March 2020, Germany and the Czech Republic reached an agreement to build a new high-speed line between Dresden and Prague, that should reduce the Berlin-Prague journey from four-and-a-half to two hours and Dresden-Prague from 135 minutes to less than an hour.
“Much of the new line will be in tunnels, avoiding the highly scenic but slow and congested line along the banks of the River Elbe currently used by hundreds of passenger and freight trains each day. Expected to open in 2030, the line is a key part of plans to improve rail travel on the Berlin-Dresden-Prague-Vienna axis.
“The Czech Republic is also planning new high-speed railways from Prague to Brno (part of the Berlin-Prague-Vienna corridor) and Ostrava, the latter part of a proposed international route to Wroclaw in Poland.
“In parallel, Poland's strategy for increasing rail travel includes new 217mph (350kph) lines linking Warsaw with Lodz, Wroclaw and Poznan, the latter on the main east-west international route linking Amsterdam and Berlin with Warsaw, the Baltic States and Moscow.
“The existing Central Main Line between Warsaw, Katowice and Krakow is also being upgraded to increase maximum speeds to 155 mph by 2023 and proposals exist for international extensions southward to Prague and Bratislava.”
I remember when I lived in Poland fifteen years ago and they were bringing in new, relatively fast, mainline trains, thinking: why not just go full on high-speed already and save money in the long run? Now they’re doing it. I think it was just too expensive back then, but now Poland is a wealthier country.
I hope this 2020-2030 decade is as spectacular as promised for the European train revolution!
