Sustainability and passengers Travelling through the world you live in
The social aspect of sustainability isn’t only about wider social needs; it’s also about the sustainability of the individual. For travel passengers there are several sustainability questions: Is this travel choice affordable? Is it quick and safe? Can I work? How stressful is it? Answering these social questions also answers wider environmental and economic issues.
Can I save time?
High speed rail in Europe is often the most expedient and convenient way to travel. In fact, if your European journey takes between one and four hours (or 200 to 900 km) then high speed rail is the fastest option. Car journeys obviously take longer, but within that one to four hour window air travel is also slower, especially when you consider travel to the airport, security, check-in etc.
In fact, check-in times can be a significant part of the time taken if passengers choose a air over rail (see cut-out).On a flight between Frankfurt and Paris for example, only 30% of the total journey time is actually spent in the air. The remaining 70% of journey time is spent waiting.
Can I cut out stress?
Road congestion, poor reliability or punctuality can all make travel more stressful. For regular business travellers and commuters high levels of stress can have consequences on productivity, and stress negatively affects all of our general health and well-being.
Railteam members strive to reduce stress from High Speed Rail by creating common services but also ensuring good punctuality: more than 90% of their services within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, with some member companies delivering nearly 95% of services within five minutes of schedules arrival times. In contrast, only 85% of European airline services arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time.
Can I work productively?
Unlike in the car or on a flight, working on the train can be as productive as working in the office. Passengers can use mobile phones and computers on all high speed services, often with onboard wifi and power supplies.
Is it accessible?
Negotiating several languages can also be a concern when travelling across Europe. Railteam’s information tools are available in 5 languages, in both online and mobile formats and our members have trained their staff, both on-board and in stations, to be able to answer customers queries in local languages and English. With regards to passengers with special needs and the elderly, our operators do offer specific services.
How safe is it?
High speed rail is safe. A recent comparison of accident statistics across different transport modes found that HSR is one of the safest modes in terms of passenger fatalities per billion passenger-km.
Sustainability and the Environment | Sustainability and the Economy | Sustainability and the Future
