The future of rail travel
If you’re looking to travel with a lower carbon footprint, rail should be an obvious option. Yet international rail travel remains an unrealistic alternative to flying.
The expansion of high speed rail, increased competition between national and private providers, and advances in technology and accessibility, should mean that we are entering a new golden age of rail travel. But, even if you accept the additional time it takes to go by train, then the jumble of rail operators, ticket types and release dates add an unwelcome level of complication that creates too big a barrier for many holidaymakers. Add to that the looming threat of how climate change will affect journeys and scheduling, and it can feel like an unsurmountable leap.
Despite this, people are increasingly willing to give rail a go. There is growing demand from adventurous travellers prepared to embrace the uncertainties that come from long distance international train journeys, and a role for travel operators who can bear the complications for the traveller. Below, we examine what the future holds for rail travel.
The expansion of high speed rail, increased competition between national and private providers, and advances in technology and accessibility, should mean that we are entering a new golden age of rail travel. But, even if you accept the additional time it takes to go by train, then the jumble of rail operators, ticket types and release dates add an unwelcome level of complication that creates too big a barrier for many holidaymakers. Add to that the looming threat of how climate change will affect journeys and scheduling, and it can feel like an unsurmountable leap.
Despite this, people are increasingly willing to give rail a go. There is growing demand from adventurous travellers prepared to embrace the uncertainties that come from long distance international train journeys, and a role for travel operators who can bear the complications for the traveller. Below, we examine what the future holds for rail travel.
Booking and planning international rail travel
There are more than 30 national rail operators in Europe, as well as many private operators, all of which have their own bespoke ticketing systems. Every rail operator, national or private, has its own rules around tickets, refunds, exchanges, promotions and more. That layer of complexity is a significant barrier to many people who would like to travel internationally by rail.If you want to travel from London to Italy, for example, you can buy Eurostar tickets up to eight months in advance, but depending on your route, some Italian tickets may not be available until three months before your intended travel date, and those times may still be subject to a later change. For people used to booking flights in advance, this uncertainty can be off-putting.
In the European Union, linking up ticketing and scheduling systems has been suggested and discussed for many years, but remains a long way off. Standardising operating systems, even if the will was there, would take an incredible amount of time and software development. But if parity ever is achieved it could be a gamechanger.
Train fares vs flight fares
There’s a huge disparity in fares between countries. In the UK, high rail prices mean that many travellers are still likely to choose a flight for a short domestic trip. Elsewhere in Europe however, domestic rail is making a comeback, and it’s all down to affordability.In Italy, it's been estimated that intercity rail competition has slashed fares by as much as 25 percent. The winners are passengers, with domestic airlines the losers as demand for internal flights falls correspondingly. As an example, over the course of ten years the proportion of people travelling from Rome to Milan by train increased from 36 percent to around 80 percent, while those travelling by plane fell from 50 percent to 14 percent.
Train fares have fallen considerably in Spain, too, where capacity and passenger numbers have rocketed due to rival operators competing for routes. On the Barcelona to Madrid route the number of passengers per day is around three times what it was a decade ago, while the number of services per day has more than doubled and the average price per ticket has halved.
Elsewhere in Europe, plans are afoot to connect London with Germany, and further afield, through the Channel Tunnel, with Eurostar just one of the companies in the mix to provide the service.
Private companies are increasingly competing on the routes of national operators, driving down costs while increasing frequency, and choice. One downside to this, however, is that with a growing number of private operators alongside national operators, ticketing grows more complicated.
Adventurous rail holidays
One of the most exciting travel trends in Europe is the renaissance of the sleeper train, reversing a long period of decline. All but killed off by cheap flights, Europe’s sleeper network is a shadow of its former self, and regrowth will be slow due to challenges with costs, scheduling and the availability of rolling stock, but there is demand.
“People are prepared to travel further by rail than they used to be, five hours or more, and that is driving interest for routes like Paris to Berlin and Prague to Copenhagen,” says Mark Smith, founder of comprehensive train travel guide The Man in Seat 61. “And then of course once they start doing these distances, they realise that going by a sleeper train is more time-efficient.”
“People are prepared to travel further by rail than they used to be, five hours or more, and that is driving interest for routes like Paris to Berlin and Prague to Copenhagen,” says Mark Smith, founder of comprehensive train travel guide The Man in Seat 61. “And then of course once they start doing these distances, they realise that going by a sleeper train is more time-efficient.”
Adventure and uncertainty, accepting the delays, is a really good thing.![]()
Long distance rail holidays spanning multiple countries criss-cross Africa, Asia and the Middle East as well, but for the most part this kind of trip remains the preserve of experienced, older travellers with more time on their hands, and who are prepared to deal with rail services that can be rough and ready at times. This is an area where a professional tour operator can help to bring everything together.
“Our clients are usually very well-travelled and they're looking to be just pushed to the edge of their comfort zone,” says Simon Maddison of our partner Sundowners Overland. “They will take poor service when that's all there is, whether it's a train or a remote hotel, but they won’t accept poor management. So, we have great tour leaders, and we're great at what we do. Even if the actual rail service is sometimes pretty ordinary the organisation is good!”
Organising adventurous trips like this isn’t easy, as Nick Pulley, the founder of our partner Selective Asia, can tell you, but it is rewarding. In 2024 he travelled from the UK to the Taj Mahal by train. “Embracing the journey is critical. Some of my favourite parts of the trip were just being glued to the window,” he says. “We need to change the script so taking the slower route by train isn’t seen as sacrificing a day, but giving yourself a different experience. Adventure and uncertainty, accepting the delays, is a really good thing.”
“Our clients are usually very well-travelled and they're looking to be just pushed to the edge of their comfort zone,” says Simon Maddison of our partner Sundowners Overland. “They will take poor service when that's all there is, whether it's a train or a remote hotel, but they won’t accept poor management. So, we have great tour leaders, and we're great at what we do. Even if the actual rail service is sometimes pretty ordinary the organisation is good!”
Organising adventurous trips like this isn’t easy, as Nick Pulley, the founder of our partner Selective Asia, can tell you, but it is rewarding. In 2024 he travelled from the UK to the Taj Mahal by train. “Embracing the journey is critical. Some of my favourite parts of the trip were just being glued to the window,” he says. “We need to change the script so taking the slower route by train isn’t seen as sacrificing a day, but giving yourself a different experience. Adventure and uncertainty, accepting the delays, is a really good thing.”
New routes and options for adventurous travellers
Getting from Country A to Country C through Country B often requires a fair amount of planning. But if you are willing to navigate the complexities, then you could find yourself contemplating some incredible new routes. Freight lines are already operating between Baku and Kars, and Istanbul and Islamabad. When these eventually open to passengers, Azerbaijan and Pakistan will both be joined up with the European rail network through Turkey. With the Fehmarn Belt tunnel between Germany and Denmark underway, a traveller will one day be able to get all the way from Scandinavia to Pakistan by train. Tour operators will have their eye on these new routes, working on turning them into viable holiday options, with the complexities taken care of, for a price.China, meanwhile, is investing staggering sums into transport infrastructure through its Belt and Road Initiative, and railway lines are rapidly spidering across Asia. A link from Kunming in western China to Vientiane in Laos is now up and running, with the intention for it to continue on to Bangkok and potentially even Singapore. “China’s rail expansion is being referred to as the Iron Silk Road,” says Simon Maddison, who has spent decades organising and leading ambitious rail expeditions in Asia.
I find the experience of being whisked across the ground at 290km an hour fairly thrilling.![]()
– Simon Harper of ShowMeTheJourney
Expansion of high speed rail
Recent years have seen huge investment worldwide in high-speed rail (HSR), particularly in Europe and Asia, and that will only continue in years to come. China’s HSR network now spans more than 40,000km. It’s reached the point where it is reducing demand for domestic flights.
Most European HSR development is in the centre, with Spain, France, Germany and Italy all boasting extensive networks. There are many projects due to complete in the years and decades ahead that will drastically cut travel times and boost capacity between cities and across borders, as operators increasingly meet demand for international through-journeys. And there is immense demand out there, from people wanting to travel more sustainably and without the hassle of going by air.
Most European HSR development is in the centre, with Spain, France, Germany and Italy all boasting extensive networks. There are many projects due to complete in the years and decades ahead that will drastically cut travel times and boost capacity between cities and across borders, as operators increasingly meet demand for international through-journeys. And there is immense demand out there, from people wanting to travel more sustainably and without the hassle of going by air.
Climate change
Rail emits up to 90 percent less CO₂ than short-haul flights, so in the fight against the climate crisis, encouraging people out of planes and onto trains is vital. Air travel’s share of global emissions is currently around 2.5 percent, but that will grow larger as the race to net zero intensifies and other industries with an easier path to decarbonisation make progress. While the aviation industry will face greater scrutiny, if governments are to meet their net zero targets then they will also need to pursue greater investment and innovation in rail travel to make it an attractive alternative to flying.But climate change represents a threat to rail travel as well as an opportunity. The future will bring more severe weather events, with greater frequency, and with it the potential to affect journeys. ‘Leaves on the line’ is an old, much-mocked excuse for trains running late in the UK, but it is a real danger, the equivalent of black ice on the road.
Steel rail tracks expand and buckle in extreme heat, while heavy rainfall and storms can cause tracks to be washed away, or blocked by fallen vegetation. Rising sea levels pose a threat to coastal rail routes. Unpredictable weather already causes delays and disruption to many rail journeys, driving up the costs of monitoring and maintenance, and potentially making going by train less of an attractive proposition.
Developments in accessibility
Progress varies significantly from country to country, but rail travel is becoming increasingly accessible. In Europe, hundreds of stations are being rebuilt or remodelled each year, and in most cases these will be designed with accessibility factored in. With lifts and escalators becoming the norm, it is getting easier to move from the street to the platform to the train. As new rolling stock comes online there is a growing trend towards level access, allowing wheelchair users to easily get aboard without assistance. Some intercity trains in Germany now even have wheelchair lifts.Long distance rail holidays passing through Asia and Africa still pose a challenge for travellers with limited mobility. On some embarkations you can be faced with a metre’s gap between platform and train. With escorted, fully organised tours such situations can usually be managed through careful planning, but these journeys really suit only the most intrepid wheelchair user, and undertaking one independently would be very difficult.
Technology allows us to make connections in more ways than one.![]()
The future of rail travel is technology
Technology is transforming rail travel in a thousand-and-one ways, from booking tickets to planning routes, and also how we actually experience the journey.
In 2024 the UK’s first intercity battery-powered train was successfully tested in northern England. That technology could eventually remove the need to electrify tracks, potentially saving billions. Autonomous rail travel is advancing – Denmark, the Netherlands and Japan are all testing driverless trains (we’re not saying that’s necessarily a good thing). Train operating companies are investigating how artificial intelligence can help them to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption. And European travellers with an Interrail Pass on their phone can change up their routes even while they’re waiting on the platform.
“Technology helps you every stage of the way,” says Nick Pulley. “You can be on the local train service apps and getting alerts to changes to the next leg of your journey. Then on arrival in stations you can easily source taxis, food, hotels. And importantly it also helps with communication, particularly going through more remote and challenging areas. Very rarely are you truly isolated. So, technology gives you flexibility and confidence.”
Technology allows us to make connections in more ways than one. With a phone, a translation app, and an internet connection, you can have almost a real-time conversation with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you. “Not long ago in China I shared a carriage with a family going right across the country so the son could enrol in university,” says Simon Maddison. “They were on their big adventure and we had a wonderful time; they were very generous in sharing their story over several days. You can't get that travelling by road or by air. Our clients always say that on rail holidays it’s those kinds of interactions that make the memories.”
In 2024 the UK’s first intercity battery-powered train was successfully tested in northern England. That technology could eventually remove the need to electrify tracks, potentially saving billions. Autonomous rail travel is advancing – Denmark, the Netherlands and Japan are all testing driverless trains (we’re not saying that’s necessarily a good thing). Train operating companies are investigating how artificial intelligence can help them to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption. And European travellers with an Interrail Pass on their phone can change up their routes even while they’re waiting on the platform.
“Technology helps you every stage of the way,” says Nick Pulley. “You can be on the local train service apps and getting alerts to changes to the next leg of your journey. Then on arrival in stations you can easily source taxis, food, hotels. And importantly it also helps with communication, particularly going through more remote and challenging areas. Very rarely are you truly isolated. So, technology gives you flexibility and confidence.”
Technology allows us to make connections in more ways than one. With a phone, a translation app, and an internet connection, you can have almost a real-time conversation with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you. “Not long ago in China I shared a carriage with a family going right across the country so the son could enrol in university,” says Simon Maddison. “They were on their big adventure and we had a wonderful time; they were very generous in sharing their story over several days. You can't get that travelling by road or by air. Our clients always say that on rail holidays it’s those kinds of interactions that make the memories.”
With thanks to:
Simon Harper from ShowMeTheJourney
Mark Smith from The Man in Seat 61
Simon Maddison from our partner Sundowners Overland
Nick Pulley from our partner Selective Asia
Simon Harper from ShowMeTheJourney
Mark Smith from The Man in Seat 61
Simon Maddison from our partner Sundowners Overland
Nick Pulley from our partner Selective Asia
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