Analysis of Rail Travel Speed Between EU Cities

This technical report analyzes the speed of rail travel on a set of 1,356 routes connecting medium and large cities in the European Union that are less than 500 kilometers apart. The findings indicate that rail speeds exceed 150 km/h on only 3% of these routes, while 30% of the routes have speeds below 60 km/h. The report compares rail travel times with air travel on 297 routes served by both modes, revealing that rail is faster on 68 of these routes. It discusses the potential for increasing rail speeds to 160 km/h on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) core, which could enhance the number of routes where rail outperforms air travel to 103. Additionally, the report estimates that a modal shift from air to rail could reduce CO2 emissions by 17% on the analyzed routes, with further reductions possible if rail speeds are improved. The document also addresses the importance of considering factors such as cost and convenience in promoting rail travel over air travel.