Overview
- Analyses from Réseau Action Climat, UFC-Que Choisir, Greenpeace and Carbone 4 show direct TGV services undercut equivalent flights by up to 40% on French radial routes
- Journeys requiring one or more train connections average 10% higher fares than air travel, with transversal routes like Lyon-Bordeaux often twice as expensive
- International and night trains face uncapped tariffs, sparse daily frequencies and higher rolling-stock costs, making tickets on average 2.5 times pricier than short-haul flights
- Long-distance rail emits just 2.9 g of CO₂ per passenger-kilometre compared with 331 g for short-haul flights and up to 256 g for solo car travel
- Advocacy groups propose kerosene taxes, subsidized fares, lower rail access charges and expanded regional services to correct market distortions