79 points

No. For a destination where I am going this summer a train trip is 12h with a stopover and if I want a sleeper cabin, the whole trip is 300€. Plane takes 1.5h and costs 50€.

Also as I’m in the middle of one of those routes, if I were to return home by train, I’d need to get off at 3am.

Here’s my solution: tax the living hell out of aviation please, use this money to subsidize trains. There will be more supply and more demand on the rails. We will suddenly have frequent and convenient connections. And we all will be co2-neutral.

permalink
report
reply
36 points
*

Your case is very clear cut, but for some journeys where travel times are closer together, e.g. 1 hour flight versus 4 hour train people do tend to forget that there is extra time wasted going to the airport, checking luggage, boarding, whereas the train is “just there”. Depending on your location going to the train station may also be faster than going to the airport, maybe even cheaper!

That said, the price of each journey most likely will always favour flying at the moment.

permalink
report
parent
reply
5 points

I have never had a train journey where something hasn’t gone horribly wrong like missed connections, cancelled trains, trains overcrowded with drunk football fans, etc.

Having to look for hotel at night in middle of nowhere or having to sleep in the station because the next train is going tomorrow can ruin the whole trip.

Planes can be cancelled too but it’s not a guaranteed thing like with trains.

The probability of a smooth plane journey feels like 90% while for trains its like 1%

permalink
report
parent
reply
49 points

To neighboring countries yes, if there is a good connection. If there is a night train even further. However, the price should not be much higher than a flight and I want to change train as little as possible. Buying tickets should not be too complicated either. Unfortunately, taking an airplane is often easier in my experience. We need a true high-speed railway network across Europe. Something like the Shinkanzen.

permalink
report
reply
1 point
Deleted by creator
permalink
report
parent
reply
42 points

I’m currently waiting for a train to go two countries over for a weekend, so… yes?

permalink
report
reply
40 points

update: am on the train

permalink
report
parent
reply
28 points

What about now? I need updates man. Life of noodlejetski is a thriller!

permalink
report
parent
reply
18 points

still chuggin’ along, but in roaming

permalink
report
parent
reply
21 points

It is just too expensive compare to plane and that’s a shame. I’ve seen it is cheaper for scotisch and Londoners to meet in Spain than to take train.

permalink
report
reply
4 points

If you fly, we all pay more.

permalink
report
parent
reply
20 points

I took a trip from the Netherlands to Romania, and amazingly only had a single transfer.

At least, that was the plan, but then a train went missing on the way there and we had an additional transfer. Pretty stressful. Way home was super smooth though.

The one thing I don’t get the EU doesn’t bring down the hammer on is getting directions and buying tickets. Feels like that should be a relatively easy fix, forcing all European rail companies to align from the top down. But I’m probably unaware of something that makes that harder than it seems.

permalink
report
reply
4 points
*

Pretty much all train companies are vast old overcomolicated state-run monoliths that are very used to everyone working around them in their own country. Such organisations suddenly having to work together with others as equals requires a culture shift. Not to mention the technical challenges, the IT systems - if they even have any, or any from this century - are typically vastly different. They’d have to invest massively in modernisation and standardisation before they can even think of integration. This requires a multi-year effort and a lot of investment, which many states are not ready to make.

Sauce: the Swiss state-run train company SBB/CFF/FFS is and has been working hard to integrate the systems of just our neighbours, and it has been … interesting.

permalink
report
parent
reply
3 points

Oh yes, I’m not doubting it would be a multi-year effort, it’s more that I’m not aware of any such effort being in progress. Like, couldn’t the EU at least have set a goal of interoperability in x years?

permalink
report
parent
reply