London to Paris by train in less than two hours
As high-speed rail becomes increasingly popular for short-haul business and leisure trips to Europe, the airline Air France may run its own trains between Paris, London and Amsterdam – a service it describes as “airplanes on wheels.”
When Eurostar loses its monopoly in 2010, the Air France trains will carry up to 900 passengers at speed of up to 224mph. Travelling at a routine speed that will be 38mph faster than the trains used at present, the new service will complete the London to Paris route in under 2 hours – currently the journey takes fifteen minutes longer.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The downside to short-haul air travel may not be immediately apparent, but once you take into account the time spent getting to out-of-town airports, the endless queues and the environmental impact involved, high-speed rail travel becomes an attractive option.”
Trains versus budget airlines
The deregulation of rail routes in Europe offers the possibility of real competition between train services and budget airlines; for example, Amsterdam and Frankfurt could be reached within three hours.
Possible new direct rail routes from London could include Lyon, Marseilles, Geneva and Bordeaux.
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What is the ETA?
The ETA is a not-for-profit ethical organisation providing motorists and cyclists with carbon-neutral breakdown cover and insurance products. As well as encouraging responsible driving to reduce carbon, the ETA campaigns for sustainable transport.
