How Europe's Train Network Changed my Perspective on Air Travel

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Case Study Paris to Zurich (300 Mile Journey)
• Air Travel Adds Additional Time to Journey
• San Francisco to Los Angeles (320 Mile Journey)
• Conclusion

Introduction

Being born and raised in the United States has influenced my perspective on public transportation networks significantly. Being raised in Fremont, CA a suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was raised in a car-centric world, where public transport was significantly slower than other forms of transportation. Metro and rail infrastructure was lacking, and slow to the point where it was used out of necessity, rather than a choice that was reasonable to take.

When I got to Europe, I was shocked at how effective the rail system was in convienience, time of travel, and cost effectiveness. Furthermore, some of the trainrides were beautiful and a lot more pleasant of an experience than taking a flight. You are able to bring more baggage for free, have larger room of travel, and enjoy an environmentally friendlier form of travel.

This got me wanting to take more trains in the United States, but after researching similar journeys that I would have taken in Europe, I was shocked at how ineffective it was to take train as a form of long-distance transportation.

To see the difference in said methods of transportation, lets consider the European and American versions of a similar travel destination. Both of the transportation methods are going to be looked at for 1 and a half months in advance to ensure that prices stay even.

Case Study Paris to Zurich (300 Mile Journey)

Table 1: Cost, Emissions, & PTP Duration of Modes of Transport

As you can see, taking the train beats out the cost of the flight and eclipses the flight in terms of emissions. The only major advantage the flight has over the train is that it is significantly shorter. However, there are some factors that are worth considering when it comes to time of travel.

Air Travel Adds Additional Time to Journey

When travelling via plane, you have to incorporate the time it takes to get to the airport as well as the time it takes to go through security, board the plane itself, deboard the plane, and arrive at your destination. Take this Paris to Zurich itinerary. To get from central Paris to CDG Airport, it will take you around 38 minutes by public transport. You can expect to get through security in around 30 minutes and then board the flight 30 minutes before takeoff. Once you arrive, it will take around 30 minutes to deboard and exit the airport and then around 15 minutes to get from the Zurich airport to central Zurich.

That adds a whopping 2.38 hours to the duration of your trip and that’s considering the best case scenario. Most people like to arrive at the airport 1.5 to 2 hours before their flight which would then add 3.38 hours to the time of journey. With this information, the updated time of travel is as follows. Train’s have minimal time of delay as the stations are in the city centers and there is no time necessary to board, and deboard similar to an airplane.

Table 2: Cost, Emissions, & Total Duration of Modes of Transport

With the updated figures, it is cheaper, shorter, and more environmentally friendly to travel by train! This was something I never thought was possible but taking some time to consider some of the delays that travelling by plane incurs really helps paint a clearer picture. Now although this might be the case in Europe, it sadly is not even close to similar in the United States.

San Francisco to Los Angeles (320 Mile Journey)

Table 3: Cost, Emissions, & PTP Duration of Modes of Transport

In this case, we can see that choosing between the train and the plane is almost inconceivable within the United States due to the fact that the trains are not high-speed rails and take considerably longer than within Europe. Additionally, the train infrastructure has not been set up yet with the train trip actually having two segments, a bus trip from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo and then the Amtrak Train ride from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles.

Table 4: Cost, Emissions, & Total Duration of Modes of Transport

Even with the additional time it takes with air travel, it makes no sense to take the train as the time to emissions saving just is not feasible. Air travel is cheaper, 2.75x faster, and only 14% higher in emissions released. Taking the bus or carpooling down makes a lot more sense in this case but still does not have the advantages that air travel has.

Conclusion

With a high-speed electric railway infrastructure, Europe has sold me on the efficacy of using trains as a main form of transportation. Although in my study abroad experience, I did not get to use them as much as I wanted to, in the future, I will use trains as the main form of transportation for their convenience, environmental impact, and beautiful views.

The United States really needs to catchup in their railway infrastructure as it can help the environment and provide a low cost solution to those who do not have cars. Electrifying current rail lines and investing in high-speed rail lines are essential to bring our transportation network to the modern standard.