The rail thing - Why airlines and train companies are partnering to increase options for travellers on short journeys

An intercity flight connection operated by train would have been almost unthinkable in the early 1990s, but in 2024 it will increasingly be the default experience at many European hub airports. European nations have been among the world's leaders in adopting high-speed rail for short-distance trips, along with Asian countries such as Japan and China.

- By Vinay Bhaskara - Illustration by Yo Hosoyamada

An intercity flight connection operated by train would have been almost unthinkable in the early 1990s, but in 2024 it will increasingly be the default experience at many European hub airports. European nations have been among the world's leaders in adopting high-speed rail for short-distance trips, along with Asian countries such as Japan and China.

Europe now has more than 9,970 km of high-speed railway tracks, and on routes like Barcelona to Madrid, almost 75 per cent of passengers choose the Renfe train over an aeroplane. Advocates claim this is a boon for sustainability, as high-speed trains offer up to 98 per cent reduction in carbon emissions per passenger.

But many travellers select the train because they prefer the travel experience. Local travellers enjoy the convenience of beginning and ending their journey in the city centre and the elevated passenger experience on the rails: extra legroom, wider seats and high-quality meals.

Business travellers also love working with a laptop for nearly the entire 2.5-hour journey; there's usually less than half an hour of productive time on the 75-minute Iberia flight. It's little wonder that up to thirty 400-plus-seat trains run daily between Madrid and Barcelona.

Short flights are on the chopping block

And yet Iberia still operates 16 daily Madrid-Barcelona flights. Passengers travelling between both cities overwhelmingly choose the train, but passengers travelling to the rest of Europe mostly want to fly. This pattern is repeated across Europe the need for connectivity to global airline networks has kept flight levels high. In response, governments across the continent are adopting aggressive regulations. For example, in 2023, France banned the sale of airline tickets between French cities with a train journey of 2.5 hours or less, and Spain proposed a similar restriction.