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France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

euronews.com

21–30 of 149 posts

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#21

We are all in this together* *except the rich So this is another measure to widen the gap between the rich and the pleb - when the pleb's travel gets restricted further, the rich can enjoy private jet hopping undisturbed - which gives them advantage over the pleb as they can get to places even quicker. If we are serious about climate, then there should be no exceptions for the rich, in fact they should be leading by…

I don't think we (assuming you are also US american) have a leg to stand on until we raise our taxes. France iirc has a solidarity tax and from what I hear people don't go bankrupt due to routine medical care.

Back to the topic though, a ban on short flights doesn't sound right to me. I'd feel better if the flights were made more expensive with higher taxes or perhaps even a new tax altogether

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#22
post #12

The U.S. has seemingly done the opposite. Nonstop flights have all but vanished completely. What used to be a few hours on a cross-country nonstop flight has now become two to four connecting regional flights that start to approach international flight times in total. Does anyone know what's going on with no nonstop flights anymore?

No experience with the US market, but I thought that thanks to planes like A350 the opposite was happening: new routes between smaller cities thanks to fuel efficiency.

It's possible that in the US you're seeing that as a consequence of few available pilots and their resistance to change (hub and spoke has been around forever in the region)

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#23
post #16

I understand the criticism but to be fair high speed trains are better in many cases: Paris - Lyon by airplane: 1h15 plus travel to and from airport, plus security, boarding etc Paris - Lyon by train: 2h30, city center to city center, no security checks. This might actually be faster! Personally when traveling between London and Paris I choose the high speed train. It's usually more expensive but just the fact it rem…

It costs me around 60€ to go from France to Switzerland by plane. It costs me way more than 60€ to go from France to Switzerland by train. This why people are taking the plane, because it's less expensive that high speed rail, nothing more. Make high speed rail less expensive and people will take the train. Government induced free market distortion under pretense of ecology concerns is just what it is, bullshit, and…

"under pretense of ecology concerns"

Yes, the evil government is propping up BIG TRAIN because they hate planes!!!

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#24
post #16

I understand the criticism but to be fair high speed trains are better in many cases: Paris - Lyon by airplane: 1h15 plus travel to and from airport, plus security, boarding etc Paris - Lyon by train: 2h30, city center to city center, no security checks. This might actually be faster! Personally when traveling between London and Paris I choose the high speed train. It's usually more expensive but just the fact it rem…

It costs me around 60€ to go from France to Switzerland by plane. It costs me way more than 60€ to go from France to Switzerland by train. This why people are taking the plane, because it's less expensive that high speed rail, nothing more. Make high speed rail less expensive and people will take the train. Government induced free market distortion under pretense of ecology concerns is just what it is, bullshit, and…

Why is train so much more expensive? Surely jets that cost $100s of millions, supported by massive airports, are more expensive? Seems like the market distortions are subsidies to airlines of some sort.

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#25

alternative headline could be France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of having to prop up SNCF

SNCF pays full taxes for the fuel/electricity they use. Airlines do not.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene_tax

However, as of 2018, commercial kerosene consumption is currently tax exempt under the legislation of all member states of the European Union.

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#26
post #14

If you really want to reduce CO2 emissions, you need to ban cars, buses, and SUVs before you address planes. https://truecostblog.com/2010/05/27/fuel-efficiency-modes-of... Flippancy aside, in most cases the transportation mode has a relatively similar rate of emission. The problem is the number of miles travelled.

nonsense. cars, buses, and SUVs (odd distinction, but ok. also why buses?!) account for ~10-15% of global emissions (depending on how you cut it). see https://ourworldindata.org/emissions-by-sector .

I don’t see where your data refutes GP’s primary point; your data shows road transport as being much higher share of emissions than aviation.

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#27
post #12

The U.S. has seemingly done the opposite. Nonstop flights have all but vanished completely. What used to be a few hours on a cross-country nonstop flight has now become two to four connecting regional flights that start to approach international flight times in total. Does anyone know what's going on with no nonstop flights anymore?

I wish I knew. Nothing worse than a red-eye from CA to DC with a forced multi hour layover in Atlanta or Charlotte at 4am (before many dining options are open).

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It costs me around 60€ to go from France to Switzerland by plane. It costs me way more than 60€ to go from France to Switzerland by train. This why people are taking the plane, because it's less expensive that high speed rail, nothing more. Make high speed rail less expensive and people will take the train. Government induced free market distortion under pretense of ecology concerns is just what it is, bullshit, and…

Why is train so much more expensive? Surely jets that cost $100s of millions, supported by massive airports, are more expensive? Seems like the market distortions are subsidies to airlines of some sort.

Competition, and the subsidies are the other way around: many train companies receive them, and most airlines don't.

Re: France bans short haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

#30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It costs me around 60€ to go from France to Switzerland by plane. It costs me way more than 60€ to go from France to Switzerland by train. This why people are taking the plane, because it's less expensive that high speed rail, nothing more. Make high speed rail less expensive and people will take the train. Government induced free market distortion under pretense of ecology concerns is just what it is, bullshit, and…

Why is train so much more expensive? Surely jets that cost $100s of millions, supported by massive airports, are more expensive? Seems like the market distortions are subsidies to airlines of some sort.

Jet fuel is tax free in the EU, a huge market-distorting subsidy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene_tax

However, as of 2018, commercial kerosene consumption is currently tax exempt under the legislation of all member states of the European Union.

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