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This is not an inherent problem with trains though - it should absolutely be possible to implement a continent wide railway system, which I believe will happen

by Gud 2y ago

This is not an inherent problem with trains though - it should absolutely be possible to implement a continent wide railway system, which I believe will happen sooner rather than later. Switzerland already has a unified system, where the main train operator SBB and the local public transport operators use the same ticketing system. Both monthly passes are available and a half fare card, which reduces the price by a lot(not half, as is suggested by the name of the card). The Swiss people are so used to travel by train they pretty much treat it like their own living room.

deleted 2y ago
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shiroiushi 2y ago
>This is not an inherent problem with trains though - it should absolutely be possible to implement a continent wide railway system, which I believe will happen sooner rather than later. Of course, it's technically possible, and not really all that hard. But is it politically possible? I doubt it. The EU doesn't even look like it's going to hold together long-term. If the various quarreling nations of the EU couldn't come together after all these decades and make a continent-wide railway system by now, I don't think they're ever going to.
- usr1106 2y ago
  The relevant EU regulation says the trough-tickets should be offered. That's of course useless for the passenger as long as there are no sanctions if they are not offered.
- arethuza 2y ago
  The EU has only existed for 29 years - which is actually very little time for projects of this scale?
  - Symbiote 2y ago
    It's on the agenda for the next parliamentary session: https://jonworth.eu/tzitzikostas-at-his-ep-hearing-4th-november-its-time-to-hear-how-he-wants-to-fix-eu-wide-rail-ticketing/ https://jonworth.eu/tzitzikostas-at-his-ep-hearing-4th-novem...
vv_ 2y ago
> it should absolutely be possible to implement a continent wide railway system, which I believe will happen sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t count on it. Most people travel during vacations and typically choose air travel over spending extra vacation days on a train. Likewise, bullet trains don’t make much economic sense across national borders, as few people commute daily between countries for work (in the European Union). The only way to make train travel economical is by artificially increasing costs of air travel or the costs of owning a car. This has slowly been happening already, but will likely lead to a larger divide within the EU.
- Gigachad 2y ago
  >artificially increasing costs of air travel Doesn't have to be artificial. The environmental damage from air travel is a real cost which could be put back on air travel.
  - vv_ 2y ago
    Environmental taxation is either 'artificial' or 'fair' depending on where you live in Europe. These taxes will simply further the divide that already exists in the EU.
    - consteval 2y ago
      If you can demonstrate the cost is coming directly from the action, it can only be described as fair. I mean, in an apolitical way. In the US in particular, so many costs of automobiles are externalized that they genuinely appear to be a decent deal. They're not of course, we just pay for them through other esoteric routes instead of on the sticker.
      - vv_ 2y ago
        The topic of 'climate change' (or 'emissions') is highly politicized, especially as most of the costs come from laws that dictate some form of compensation for polluting. In Germany and many other Western European countries these costs are accepted by society, while in Poland and many other Eastern European countries they are not, especially as they mostly affect the poor.

by Gud 2y ago

deleted 2y ago

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shiroiushi 2y ago

>This is not an inherent problem with trains though - it should absolutely be possible to implement a continent wide railway system, which I believe will happen sooner rather than later. Of course, it's technically possible, and not really all that hard. But is it politically possible? I doubt it. The EU doesn't even look like it's going to hold together long-term. If the various quarreling nations of the EU couldn't come together after all these decades and make a continent-wide railway system by now, I don't think they're ever going to.

usr1106 2y ago
The relevant EU regulation says the trough-tickets should be offered. That's of course useless for the passenger as long as there are no sanctions if they are not offered.
arethuza 2y ago
The EU has only existed for 29 years - which is actually very little time for projects of this scale?
- Symbiote 2y ago
  It's on the agenda for the next parliamentary session: https://jonworth.eu/tzitzikostas-at-his-ep-hearing-4th-november-its-time-to-hear-how-he-wants-to-fix-eu-wide-rail-ticketing/ https://jonworth.eu/tzitzikostas-at-his-ep-hearing-4th-novem...

vv_ 2y ago

> it should absolutely be possible to implement a continent wide railway system, which I believe will happen sooner rather than later. I wouldn’t count on it. Most people travel during vacations and typically choose air travel over spending extra vacation days on a train. Likewise, bullet trains don’t make much economic sense across national borders, as few people commute daily between countries for work (in the European Union). The only way to make train travel economical is by artificially increasing costs of air travel or the costs of owning a car. This has slowly been happening already, but will likely lead to a larger divide within the EU.

Gigachad 2y ago
>artificially increasing costs of air travel Doesn't have to be artificial. The environmental damage from air travel is a real cost which could be put back on air travel.
- vv_ 2y ago
  Environmental taxation is either 'artificial' or 'fair' depending on where you live in Europe. These taxes will simply further the divide that already exists in the EU.
  - consteval 2y ago
    If you can demonstrate the cost is coming directly from the action, it can only be described as fair. I mean, in an apolitical way. In the US in particular, so many costs of automobiles are externalized that they genuinely appear to be a decent deal. They're not of course, we just pay for them through other esoteric routes instead of on the sticker.
    - vv_ 2y ago
      The topic of 'climate change' (or 'emissions') is highly politicized, especially as most of the costs come from laws that dictate some form of compensation for polluting. In Germany and many other Western European countries these costs are accepted by society, while in Poland and many other Eastern European countries they are not, especially as they mostly affect the poor.