Revival of Trans Europe Express 'key to EU's carbon neutrality'

(The Guardian, 20 Jan 2021) Campaigners say direct links between capitals could significantly reduce carbon emissions.

The resurrection of a 1960s network of direct rail routes between major European capitals known as the Trans EuropeExpress is key to achieving carbon neutrality in the EU by 2050, according to a report funded by the German government.

Due in large part to the growth of short-haul flights, 149 of the 365 cross-border rail links that once existed in Europe were non-operational in 2018, with rail now accounting for only 8% of all passenger travel in EU member states.

The joint report from environmental organisations in Germany, Poland, Spain and France, and financed by the German environment ministry, says direct connections between capitals such as Paris and Berlin could make a major contribution to reducing carbon emissions.

The German transport minister, Andreas Scheuer, had tentatively suggested in September that the network of routes that flourished in the 1960s and 70s could be the model for a new set to connections from 2025.

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The Guardian, 20 Jan 2021: Revival of Trans Europe Express 'key to EU's carbon neutrality'