European Regions Airline Association

Air and Rail: Setting the Record Straight

- environment, investment, mobility & political bias

The interaction between air transport and High Speed Rail (HSR) is a key strategic issue for the future of transport in Europe. European Regulators, including the European Commission, favour High Speed Rail ahead of air transport in the policy and funding choices they have made. The substitution of regional air transport by HSR is regularly stated as a means to solve Europe's congestion and environmental problems caused by aviation.

Few of these actions and arguments have been supported by hard facts.

This study looks at the merits of both air and rail and examines the case for each, in terms of their environmental impact, return on investment, competition and substitution, as well as the different regulatory approaches taken by policy makers for each mode.

The conclusions are clear: the case for rail as the "preferred" mode of transport by policy-makers and transport planners cannot be justified.

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Members

The study is available free to members of ERA.  To obtain your free copy please contact Kirsty Wishart, Coordinatory Regulatory Affairs.

Non-members

Copies can be purchased by non-members for the price of GBP195.  The study is available either in hard copy or PDF format.  Please click here to order.

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