High-speed rail now rivals air travel on key Asian, European routes
Across Asia and Europe, high-speed rail is providing a competitive alternative to air travel on the same routes, in terms of price and the all-important barometer of time. Put that together with the environmental benefits that flow from not burning jet fuel, and staying on the ground begins to make more sense for travelers who would otherwise trudge to the airport.
Speedy trains and planes are generally competitive until your travel plans extend beyond 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), at which point travelers consider flying superior for time savings, according to an overview of academic research by the Journal of Advanced Transportation.
But new technologies may push that boundary in the years and decades to come. The chart below gives examples of key global routes where the two are currently comparable.
“Travel time is critical for the competitiveness of different transport modes,” researchers from Beijing’s Beihang University and the University of South Florida in Tampa wrote last year, buttressing a 2014 European study that found more air service on routes for which trains take longer.
While this supports the theory that trains can supplant air travel if door-to-door time and price are equal or better, that doesn’t turn out to be the case in reality. It’s not a zero-sum game after all.
In general, the advent of fast, affordable train service in China, Japan, South Korea and western Europe has eroded such preconceptions as to how airlines and railroads compete.
The entry of high-speed rail in markets dominated by airlines doesn’t always lead to fewer available flights –there’s evidence that, in many places, affordably priced train tickets actually spur new travel demand, much the way ultra-low-cost airlines in Asia, Europe and the Americas have affected bargain fares. That helps both trains and planes.
Asia rides the fast rail boom
The new rail industry is seeing its most vibrant growth in China, which also has the world’s largest high-speed network, the fastest trains and the greatest ambitions for future expansion.
One of the world’s busiest routes, Beijing to Shanghai, features the new domestically built Fuxing high-speed train, now with a top allowed speed of 218 miles per hour (351 kilometers per hour). That speed increase cut the 775-mile (1,247 kilometer) trip to 4 hours, 28 minutes on a route that has about 100 million rail passengers annually, according to Chinese news service Xinhua.
Japan’s high-speed shinkansen, or bullet trains, date to the 1960s and have become a staple of domestic travel, with speeds of about 199 mph (320 km), making for a 2½ hour trip between Tokyo and Osaka, one of the most heavily trafficked routes.
That same city pairing, however, has hourly airline service by both of Japan’s largest carriers - with each using a mix of wide-body Boeing 767s, 777s and 787s for the 70-minute flight.
While adding station/airport dwell time and the time spent getting from city center to the platform/gate doesn’t change the result in this case, such calculations sometimes make the difference when it comes to travel time.
In 2015, 910 million Chinese traveled by all forms of rail – more than twice the 415.4 million who flew, according to the journal article. Unsurprisingly, the future of train technology resides in China.
The first magnetic-levitation, or maglev train, which can travel as fast as 267 mph (430 kph), operates in Shanghai; engineers are researching future maglev trains that could travel at a stunning 373 mph (600 kph), an achievement that could thoroughly upend the current dynamic between air and ground travel.
Over time, Chinese airlines and high-speed trains have generally evolved so that fares and service classes are comparable, said Yu Zhang, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of South Florida and one of the journal report’s authors.
In their early days, Chinese high-speed rail operators sought to emulate airlines in terms of attendant training, with fares that were generally too high to spur much demand, she said. Since then, train fares have dropped.
“Air service is impacted, but we do not see a significant reduction of passengers, either,” Yu said of the Chinese market. “It’s really dependent on the particular route.”
Eurostar's 10 million travellers per year
In Europe, the Eurostar high-speed rail from London to Paris and Brussels served 10 million riders last year, the fourth since it first topped that mark.
The service began in November 1994 and drew 2.9 million passengers the following year. Current Eurostar fares begin at £29 (A$50), down from initial fares of £79 pounds in the system’s early days.
Again, the different modes of transport that might seem to be rivals for the same passengers are in many way complementary.
Low-cost airlines focused on short-haul routes and European high-speed rail options that would seem to compete are generally not rivals, given their vast differences on other counts. The trains generally serve city centers, while the air carriers tend to use secondary airports further afield as a way to lower their costs.
On the Paris-Bordeaux line, high speed rail is “by far the most competitive travel offer with a real traffic growth of 70 percent since its launch in July,” the French railway SNCF said in an emailed statement.
“In November, we reached 82 percent of the Paris-Bordeaux travel market share,” SNCF official Rachel Picard said. “This high speed benefits all customers, including professional travelers whose number has doubled compared to 2016.”
And what happened to the big airlines on the continent such as Air France-KLM? They have ceded traffic on the shorter routes to low-cost rivals, including Ryanair and EasyJet. Many major U.S. airlines are following suit, abandoning smaller regional jets and reducing service to less-populated cities.
“The way airlines think of trips that are short-haul has changed,” said Holly Reed, an executive with Texas Central Partners, which is raising money to build a bullet train between Dallas and Houston.
US takes the slow train
By now, you may have noticed the absence of one large country from this discussion. After a century of neglect, U.S. transit infrastructure has more in common with the developing world than with China or Western Europe. While Asia rail systems measure their passengers in the hundreds of millions, in the U.S., Amtrak had 31.3 million riders in its 2016 fiscal year.
America’s fastest train, the Acela, travels on the Boston-New York-Washington corridor with a speed capability of only 150 mph (241 kph) – but the trains rarely exceed 100 mph (161 kph) due to congestion – and then only for short periods on aging tracks.
With the rails often running parallel with the busy Interstate 95, it’s not uncommon to see cars outpacing locomotives.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
Eurostar Business Premier London to Paris is magnificent. The absence of one other large country from this discussion would have to be Australia. We are just so far behind .
11 Jun 2016
Total posts 14
100% correct
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Sep 2012
Total posts 231
@sgb I think by 'large country' they are referring to population, rather than surface area.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Sep 2013
Total posts 188
Indeed Jedinak. What sgb and NuttyNorton overlook is that Australia is a country the size of Western Europe, with a population the size of two of their biggest cities. We all would love it, but it just ain't going to happen.
18 Nov 2015
Total posts 117
"We all would love it, but it just ain't going to happen."
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
05 Sep 2016
Total posts 13
Yet we have the 2nd busiest flight corridor on the planet, SYD-MEL.. Of course it can be done, and would be feasible if it included CBR. But the kiwis will have one before us.
11 Dec 2015
Total posts 85
Meanwhile, in Australia, it takes 3 hours on a train just to get from Sydney to Newcastle. Similar to the time it takes packets on the NBN to travel the same distance, I suspect.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 780
Ahh, the shitkansen. Tip for new players, if you're about to head from Sydney to Newcastle (Hamilton) - and if your schedule permits, on the day try for a seat on the XPT to Broadmeadow. Quieter, more comfort, a tray table and a cafe car.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
What is the XPT's destination from Sydney?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Feb 2015
Total posts 27
Brisbane, sgb. Also a long trip :-/
10 Aug 2015
Total posts 113
Glady's and her mob cut the railway line 5km from the city so...no trains to Newcastle since 2015
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
It this day and age how appalling is that, a bit like the SBS special the other night on The Ghan, it seems to dump passengers about 5Km's from the civilization of Darwin.
United Airlines - Mileage Plus
20 Dec 2013
Total posts 31
London to Paris on Eurostar is a no-brainer in comparison to flying between the two cities. Why?
1. Check-in half hour before departure; 10 minutes if business class.
2. Easy immigration into France - before you leave the UK.
3. Minimal security line.
4. Take your luggage on to your carriage - no weight restrictions.
5. WIFI and power in station and on train.
5. No trip out to LHR or LCY. Eurostar goes from city centre to city centre.
6. No waiting around at gate, on plane, at the end of the runway while other planes land and take-off, no waiting for luggage at carasoule at CDG, etc., etc., etc.
7. Cheap prices.
8. Relaxing journey on smooth trains (no turbulence) with nice scenery.
9. Get up and walk down to the food and drink carriage.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
Also why - If in Business Premier class you won't even have to walk to get food, it will be brought to you at your table very promptly by two attendants and the food and drink is of very good quality and presentation. I found it difficult walking the short distance on these trains just to go to the toilet, (same Carriage) at such speed you need to hang on very well indeed. Also the lounge at St Pancras Station is excellent.
29 Aug 2017
Total posts 18
It’s the same through Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.. And the added bonus is the business class seats are cheap and there’s heaps of leg room.
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
07 Sep 2012
Total posts 146
And if you're departing from France it's just as good. Nice lounge at Gare Nord, a station which is much easier to get to and navigate through than CDG or ORY. Basically 10 mins from my hotel in Paris to the station, and 10 minutes from St Pancras to my hotel when I arrive.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
Did London to Edinburgh return in Virgin Trains 1st class last year. The train took about 4.5hrs plus had lounge access and proper seat service onboard with alcohol/meal/snacks included all for £110 but those trains max out at 200kph and onl ycertain sections. Similar price with easyjet/ryanair with suitcase but then would've needed to drive out to airport at london and then get airport tram at other end. Overall the timing might have been the same by the time you factor in travel time to St Pancras but much less stressful.
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
06 Jul 2015
Total posts 15
Having just returned from Shanghai I got to try the Maglev that hits 431kmh, even though it really doesn't cover the Airport to City (stopping a little outside of centre) it was worth the approx $10 to take 8mins instead of 40ish in a car for a lot more $. I also use the Seville - Barcelona train over the flights for better comfort/cost/time when all factored in.Trains are definitely a choice in a number of locations around the world.
23 Jan 2014
Total posts 11
I took the Shanghai Maglev just for the fun of it 2 weeks ago. Paid for business class (knowing it was a waste) and got the cabin to ourselves. The train was fairly empty in cattle class too.
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
06 Jul 2015
Total posts 15
True on the speed limiting to certain times, I made sure to go just after 3pm for the full 431kmh experience, now think about the fact that there are a handle full of cars that can do that speed, incredible.
12 Jan 2018
Total posts 1
I believe the reason that the Shanghai maglev only travels at the maximum speed of 431 km/hr for 2 hours a day is that because the two lines were built too close together, trains are unable to pass each other at full speed. So during the least busy time of day they just run one train at the maximum speed.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2012
Total posts 318
In Taiwan, the High Speed rail between Taipei and Kaohsiung basically destroyed the local domestic airlines. It has also changed a lot of how locals do business as now day travel is achievable between the North and South of the Island. Factor in things like, No security, no bookings required, trains every 20-30 minutes, and easy entry to and from the stations and straight into the city.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
17 Mar 2016
Total posts 42
The nature of rail-air competition in China is not as straight forward as laid out in this report. In the 10 years that high speed rail has started, the country as a whole has grown economically allowing more people to travel on either mode of transport. By building more capability, more people are now capable of travelling than they were before, unlike long term established travel markets in Europe or North America. High speed rail has dramatically changed the method of doing business in many parts of China, going to city centre to city centre. The rail fares are priced on a fixed per Km rate, unlike flexible airfares, however air travel is hamstrung by delays and inflexible air traffic controls. Making rail travel reliable and attractive despite the sometimes higher fares.
29 Aug 2014
Total posts 22
1. Many Chinese HSR stations are not near city centre - Guangzhou South or Futian.
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
Even Turkey has embraced high speed rail, but in Australia, we still don't have it from Brisbane to Sydney to Canberra and then Melbourne. If we did, on all but Brisbane - Melbourne and Coolangatta - Melbourne, of the major routes there, it would kill the airlines. Politicians just don't listen to the community who know how good high speed trains are.
29 Aug 2014
Total posts 22
Building a high speed rail costs a xxxxload. We've just spent over A$13 billion building our connection to the China HSR system from West Kowloon in Hong Kong.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Jul 2015
Total posts 219
High speed rail is a bit like Badgerys Creek. Report after report and then something to happen decades ahead. Meanwhile Asia moves ahead...at speed
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Nov 2017
Total posts 3
Ahh the fast train magic pudding BS. Coal fired of course!
17 Sep 2015
Total posts 371
Naysayers don't realise we have lots of places in between Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Newcastle and Sydney, and Sydney - Canberra - Melbourne that would grow far more if we had high speed trains. Shepparton, Wagga Wagga, Goulburn, Taree, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Ballina. It's been incredibly successful over similar distances overseas. We have the population to warrant it.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Jun 2015
Total posts 57
Even India is getting one by 2022, but Australia?
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