European Rail Campaign (UK)

The Campaign for Better Rail Links to and from the UK and across Europe

Swiss Railways train in Zurich Station

Aregos Station on the Douro Line in Portugal

Austrian RailJet on the Semmering Pass

International train starts the climb up to the Arlberg Tunnel

Eurostar arrives at Albertville

Palaeofarsalos Station in Central Greece. See Travellers Tales “Into Albania and onto Greece”

Travellers Tales

The European Railway Timetable produce a stunning map of all the railways of Europe.

Railway Maps

Intercity train Jihlava to Brno preparing to depart

ONE TRAIN TICKET ACROSS THE EUROPEAN UNION ?

Although the UK is no longer a member of the European Union, we should also benefit, if this ever becomes a reality. The European Commission President has recently re-stated her commitment to drive this forward during the next 5 years, since her re-election for a 2nd term. Here is a brief critical report of the statement she made on the 2nd of August 2024: –

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen wants Europeans to have easier international train travel. In her new term, it will be possible to travel across several countries with a single train ticket, she promised at her re-election.

“Cross-border rail travel is still too difficult for many residents,” Von der Leyen wrote in her political policy guidelines 2024-2029, a document she sent to the European Parliament on the occasion of her re-election. In the document, the Commission president points out that a separate ticket is now required for each rail operator. There is also no protection for passengers if trains are late, break down or if they miss a connection.

Climate targets

The barriers to international rail transport are driving the EU’s climate goals into the wheels, the Brussels top woman believes. “To meet those targets, we need to make it easier for residents to switch to more sustainable options.” There should therefore be a booking system that allows travellers to buy a single ticket across Europe. This should also better define their rights, Von der Leyen said.

This is not the first time Von der Leyen has made plans to streamline international rail transport. Back in 2020, she also presented plans for a new ticketing system. However, that stalled, partly because the proposal did not pass quality control.

Re-election

Ursula von der Leyen was elected for her second term as Commission president last month. In the European Parliament, a majority of 401 MEPs backed the re-election. There were 284 dissenting votes and 22 invalid votes. Von der Leyen has headed the European Commission since 2019.

UPDATE ON RAIL/SEA BUS LINK AT DIEPPE:

We can now confirm that this useful link to the station connects with all sailings between Newhaven and Dieppe.