Air India has established an intermodal interline agreement with AccesRail, aimed at enhancing travel options for Air India passengers across Europe, including providing connectivity to smaller European cities that do not have airports.

Through this agreement, Air India travellers, with a single intermodal ticket, can access on-ground train and bus connections to over 100 cities and towns in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

These destinations would be accessible through their European gateways of Amsterdam, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Milan, and Vienna.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer, Air India, said in a press statement that the expansion of our global network is one of our key priorities in the ongoing, comprehensive transformation of Air India.

This partnership with AccesRail not only helps us provide our guests easy access to an extended network of destinations across Europe but also bridges the gaps in connectivity between India and Europe.

Which does the intermodal ticket system cover?

AccesRail has an extensive network of rail and bus operators.

Through Air India’s partnership with AccesRail, travellers would be able to access Avanti West Coast (UK), Great Western Railways (UK), London North Eastern Railways (UK), National Express (UK), Trenitalia (Italy), ÖBB Austrian Railways (Austria), SNCB Belgian Railways, and Thalys (Netherlands/Belgium).

AccesRail, an IATA travel partner, operates under its own designator code (9B), making it possible for intermodal journeys to be undertaken on a single ticket.

Currently, intermodal tickets with Air India are available for booking through travel agents globally.

The airline also plans to extend the facility to its own sales channels progressively.

The post Air India partners with AccesRail for intermodal travel to over 100 European cities appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

The vibrant and dynamic city of New York is set to welcome an exciting addition to its cultural landscape with the grand opening of the New York City Train Museum. This highly anticipated museum promises to be a captivating destination for locals and visitors alike.

It offers a fascinating journey through the history and evolution of trains while highlighting their enduring significance in shaping modern transportation and society.

The New York City Train Museum will officially open its doors in the city’s heart. The museum’s mission is to celebrate the legacy of trains as a symbol of progress, innovation, and connectivity.

With a diverse collection of meticulously restored locomotives, rolling stock, and interactive exhibits, visitors will be transported through time to experience the evolution of train technology, from the steam–powered engines of the 19th century to the high–speed marvels of today.

As the New York City Train Museum embarks on this exciting journey, it invites the public to celebrate the legacy of trains and their timeless significance in our lives.

The post Grand opening of the New York City train museum appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

The Paris-Vienna night train has sold 70 percent of all available tickets since it launched in December 2021- practically a full house for each of its three weekly return runs.

The Nightjet service, run by Austrian national provider OBB, pulls out from Paris’ Gare de l’Est at 7:30pm and arrives in the Austrian capital Vienna at 10am the following morning, with the cheapest tickets starting at just €29.90.

It is one of many new lines that have opened across Europe reconnecting major cities with direct train routes – and more are on the horizon.

Italian provider TrenItalia hopes to launch a direct Paris-Madrid line by the end of 2024, following what it describes as the “incredible” success of its lines connecting Paris, Lyon, Turin and Milan that were launched in 2021.

A sleeper train between Paris and Berlin is scheduled to start running at the end of 2023, along with a new high-speed connection between the two capitals launching in 2024 that will reduce the current 10-hour journey time down to seven.

Interest in long-distance rail travel has been growing steadily for the past eight years, says rail expert Mark Smith, the owner of the train travel website seat61.com.

Now, he says, growing numbers of train travellers have two main motivations.

National markets

The environmental arguments for train travel are compelling.

A two-hour flight from Paris to Vienna results in 419.6kg of carbon emissions, compared with 41.5 kg when travelling on the Nightjet, according to OBB calculations.

But there is a lack of political action to prioritise the eco-friendly mode of transport.

Although a French law introduced in May banned short-haul flights on environmental grounds if there was a rail alternative that took less than two hours, the law had so many loopholes that only three routes were impacted.

It is still possible to fly from Paris to Lyon or Bordeaux, even though high-speed rail equivalents exist, and it is relatively cheap to do so.

A 2023 report found that train tickets on cross-border routes in Europe are on average twice as expensive as flight tickets, in part due to tax exemptions granted to airlines.

It was the rise of budget air travel in the 1990s that introduced the idea of quick, cheap trips that could fit into a weekend and wiped out Europe’s night trains, which were largely considered unprofitable.

In the interim, air travel has become more onerous. The 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 dramatically increased the demands of airport security around the world, along with wait-times in airports for travellers.

Crossing one or more international borders by train can mean booking via multiple different national rail providers, and accepting that individual insurance coverage applies to each leg of the journey.

Routes and pricing are often defined by local markets, says Jon Worth, who runs the Cross Border Rail project investigating train links between European countries.

The railway industry in Europe is still heavily national, and they think predominantly about the services they will run in their own national markets, he says.  

Grassroots support

The direct line connecting Paris and Barcelona epitomises many of the benefits and drawbacks of travelling Europe by train.

A six-and-a-half-hour journey links the two city centres, thanks to hundreds of millions of euros of European Union funding to upgrade the track to a high-speed route. 

Travellers can pick up a croissant for breakfast in the French capital, stroll to Gare de Lyon station and emerge at Barcelona-Sants in time for a tapas lunch in the Mediterranean sun.

French provider SNCF runs just two fast trains per day with the most expensive tickets reaching a profitable €250 for a one-way journey. On the same route, dozens of flights run day and night for a fraction of the price.

And yet, the trains nearly always run at high capacity, especially during summertime, when seats sell out months in advance.

The same is true on the Paris-Vienna sleeper line, where – almost two years after the route was introduced – most berths are snapped up as soon as they are released for sale.

Increasing demand for train travel certainly hasn’t come from government and it certainly hasn’t come from train companies.

In 2022, Interrail (a combined pass which allows travel on almost every train in Europe) saw their highest-ever sales, 50 years after the ticket was first introduced.

Building supply to match soaring demand is likely to be slow, Smith says, but there are hopeful signs.

Austrian National provider OBB ­– the current leader in the European field has expansion plans that include new routes and new sleeper-cars, which are in short supply throughout the continent. More sleeper carriages will likely mean a fortified schedule.

There is already talk of the night train between Paris and Berlin being increased to run on a daily basis.

New private companies such as European Sleeper and Midnight Trains are also entering the European market.

The remaining piece of the puzzle is political will, says Worth, the expert from the Cross Border Rail project.

Transport is the only sector of Europe’s economies where CO² emissions continue to rise, he says.

They are all conscious that we ought to take the train to go on holiday rather than flying, but the bit in the middle – making political wind out of how to make that happen – that’s where it falls down.

The post Long-distance trains take on air travel in Europe appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

A team of Washington Democrats is calling for the federal government to help fund a high–speed rail line that would travel up to 250 miles per hour and stretch from Canada to Oregon.

Washington’s Congressional delegation said its ambitious Cascada High–Speed Rail proposal has the ‘potential to transform the Pacific Northwest’ in a Tuesday letter to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

The Cascadia rail line would connect Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle to Portland, according to the delegation.

In the letter, the Democrats argued the project would lead to better access to jobs, affordable housing, climate initiatives, shared resources, increased tourism, and economic growth for the Pacific Northwest region.

At 250 miles per hour, a rider using the high–speed service would travel from Vancouver to Portland in under two hours.

A rider could travel from Seattle to Portland in under an hour. The top speed of 250 mph for the project is faster than other rail services on the horizon in North America.

The post Ultra high-speed train has the potential to transform the Pacific Northwest appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

Travellers are facing travel misery at the end of the summer holidays as members of the biggest rail workers union stage fresh strikes in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said 20,000 of its members in 14 train operators would walk out on two consecutive Saturdays, including during the August bank holiday.

Industrial action will take place on August 28 and September 2 after no improved or revised offer from the Rail Delivery Group, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said.

The reason for this is the Government has not allowed them a fresh mandate on which discussions could be held, he said.

All RMT members involved in the dispute will not book on for any shifts on the days where strike action is planned, the union said.

The 14 train operating companies affected are: Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains and GTR, including Gatwick Express.

RMT has been embroiled in the dispute for over a year, with no sign of a breakthrough.

The lastest action from the union was a one-day strike on Saturday July 29, with members picketing across the UK.

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said staff were offered a 13 per cent pay rise which was blocked without a convincing explanation by the RMT executive.

With further strike action the RMT are once again targeting customers looking to enjoy various sporting events, festivals, and the end of the summer holidays, disrupting their plans and forcing more cars onto the road, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile Aslef members are currently in an overtime ban that began on August 7 and ends on Saturday. Members have refused to work for anything above and beyond their contracted hours and hundreds of trains have been cancelled every day as a result.

The six train companies affected by the overtime ban are Chiltern Railways, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern, South Western Railway and Thameslink.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said that the RMT leadership’s decision to call more strikes and cynically target the travelling public over the bank holiday weekend is disappointing.

The Government has facilitated fair and reasonable pay offers.

However, union bosses are opting to prolong this dispute by blocking their members from having a vote on these offers. They continue to urge that members are given their say and disruption is brought to an end.

Strikes are also set to cause chaos at Gatwick Airport over the August bank holiday weekend as Unite members working for ground handling company Red Handling, and Wilson James, which operates Gatwick’s passenger assistance contract, walk off the job.

The two four-day strikes between August 18 and 25 will disrupt tens of thousands of passengers and hundreds of flights, the union says.

The two four-day strikes between August 18 and 25 will disrupt tens of thousands of passengers and hundreds of flights, the union says.

Adam Tyndall, programme director for transport at business group BusinessLDN, said: “The latest round of industrial action risks an abrupt end to the busy summer season for many businesses, Londoners and visitors.

These strikes will be particularly disheartening for the hospitality and retail industries as they will be hoping to get as many customers as possible in the door before the holidays come to an end.

Londoners and businesses urgently want all those involved to get around the negotiating table and reach an agreement so they can make the most of the holiday period.

The post Train strikes: August bank holiday walkout ‘risks abrupt end to summer’ for Londoners appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

China’s Suifenhe Port, the largest land port in Heilongjiang province, is located on the China-Russia border. It has recorded 2,290 inbound and outbound China-Europe freight train trips since it opened in 2018.

Over the past five years, the number of trains has increased from 20 a year at the beginning to 95 a month at its peak, having carried 212,469 standard-sized shipping containers between 25 cities in China and different cities in five European countries.

These remarkable figures not only represent the growing importance of China-Europe freight trains in world trade but also embody the vision of the Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to enhance economic cooperation and promote win-win results.

The China-Europe freight train service, launched in 2011, has already made over 10,000 trips this year alone, with a typical freight journey from Xi’an to Germany’s Duisburg taking only 12 days.

The growth of the China-Europe freight train system has built a bridge for cooperation and exchanges between the countries on the Eurasian continent, connecting the East and West and helping them work together for prosperity.

The Eurasian continent, with a population of 5.4 billion, is the largest single continuous landmass in the world.

As such, it has always provided ample economic opportunities. The rapid growth of freight trains between China and Europe has provided convenient, fast, affordable, and reliable logistical channels for the countries along the routes.

With increasingly diverse and flexible China-Europe routes, more resilient supply chains have begun to form.

For example, the freight train service was effective in guaranteeing the flow of goods and averting the disruptions caused by shipping due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This also shows that China-EU relations can prosper through the establishment of geographic continuity and subsequently establishes the potential for more European goods to travel in the other direction.

It is able to offer gains to every single country involved by creating a more tightly-knit economic community and breaking down the barriers between them.

Central Asian countries, due to their landlocked geographic position, have rare opportunities to carry out international trade or attain prosperity.

However, China-Europe railway routes allow them to better reach their neighbors and become hubs for transcontinental trade, which also offers them opportunities to export their own goods.

This, therefore, emulates the benefits of the ancient Silk Road.

China-Europe freight trains serve as a vital bridge of cooperation, enabling countries across Eurasia to share business opportunities with each other and bring them closer.

In a world that is beset with challenges and uncertainty, Eurasia, with its connected markets and integration, is providing new paths for growth and prosperity.

The post China-Europe freight trains serve as vital bridge for cooperation appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

As reported Europe is having high-speed trains that are an increasingly popular alternative way of exploring the continent. It is also recommended that one should take Europe’s fastest, smoothest, and quietest train for their next continental holiday.

Italy alone has seen passenger numbers row by 517 percent – rising from 6.5m in 2008 to 40 million in 2018.

Trenitalia’s Paris to Milan route was first introduced in December 2021, serviced by Hitachi Rail’s ETR1000.
This super high-speed train travels at 300km/h – with the ability to go 400km/h if not limited by track regulations – making it the fastest train in Europe.

The ETR1000 is powered by electricity meaning it also won’t contribute to air pollution. The trains themselves are built from 94.4 percent recyclable materials.

The post A swap from a flight to a high-speed train now in Europe appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

The locomotive’s owner the National Railway Museum has agreed to a two–day free event for the public at the Railport terminal this November.

Ticket–holders will be able to step onto the footplate of the engine, which was built at the LNR’s Doncaster Works in 1923.

Mayor Ros Jones lobbied for the visit after Doncaster was missed off the itinerary for the year of rail tours and residencies on heritage lines, despite the Scotsman’s strong local connections.

In July the NRM arranged for the Scotsman to make a brief stop at Doncaster Station while it was returning to York from a charter excursion – the first time it had called at the station since the early 1980s.

Freightliner, the company which manages the Railport close to the city centre, has agreed to host the locomotive as the site has easy access to the East Coast Main Line and the engine can be displayed without disrupting regular rail traffic.

The post The Flying Scotsman arrives at Doncaster Station for its first visit since 1983 appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

Texas Central Partners (“Texas Central”) and Amtrak are seeking opportunities to advance planning and analysis work associated with the proposed Dallas-Houston 205-mph high-speed rail project to further determine its viability. Amtrak has cooperated with Texas Central on various initiatives since 2016 and the two entities are currently evaluating a potential partnership to further study and potentially advance the project.

“If we are going to add more high-speed rail to this country, the Dallas to Houston Corridor is a compelling proposition and offers great potential,” said Amtrak Senior Vice President of High-Speed Rail Development Programs Andy Byford. “We believe many of the country’s biggest and fastest-growing metropolitan areas, like Houston and Dallas, deserve more high quality high-speed, intercity rail service and we are proud to bring our experience to evaluate this potential project and explore opportunities with Texas Central so the state can meet its full transportation needs.”

The proposed approximately 240-mile route would offer a total travel time of less than 90 minutes between two of the top five major U.S. metropolitan areas and would complement future, new and improved corridor and long-distance service in the southern region.

Texas Central and Amtrak have submitted applications to several federal programs in connection with further study and design work for the potential Dallas to Houston segment, including the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety and Improvements (CRISI) grant program, the Corridor Identification and Development program, and the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP-National) grant program.

Amtrak has worked with Texas Central since 2016 when it entered into agreements to provide through-ticketing using the Amtrak reservation system and other support services for the planned high-speed rail line.

“This high-speed train, using advanced, proven Shinkansen technology, has the opportunity to revolutionize rail travel in the southern U.S., and we believe Amtrak could be the perfect partner to help us achieve that,” said Texas Central Chief Executive Officer Michael Bui. “We appreciate Amtrak’s continued collaboration and look forward to continuing to explore how we can partner in the development of this important project.”

High-speed rail service with mostly-dedicated and purpose-built rights of way can radically shrink trip times, achieve excellent reliability and provide significant capacity – all things that will drive ridership and help convince people to shift their trips to rail. When complete, this project is forecast to provide significant social, environmental, employment and economic benefits to the people of Texas. As an example, the project is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 100,000 tons per year, saving 65 million gallons of fuel while removing 12,500 cars per day from I-45.

“Dallas is the engine of the fourth largest and fastest growing region in the nation,” Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson said. “It is bold, innovative endeavors like this that will propel Dallas toward an even more prosperous future. A high-speed rail line would revolutionize transportation in our region, serve as a catalyst for economic growth, and enhance connectivity among Texas residents and businesses.”

“The collaboration between Texas Central and Amtrak is an important milestone for the City of Houston and this project,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston. “Our city is committed to advancing transportation initiatives that support economic growth and enhance quality of life for our residents. The potential partnership of these two companies will accelerate the planning and analysis necessary for the successful implementation of a modern, efficient, and environmentally sustainable rail system connecting Houston and Dallas. I commend all parties involved for their dedication to this transformative project.”

Construction and operations of the proposed high-speed rail line would bring significant economic benefits to the region, including thousands of well-paying construction jobs and nearly one thousand long-term, skilled operations and maintenance positions.

“The Ironworkers strongly support the Dallas-to-Houston high speed rail project,” said Jerry Wilson, Iron Workers District Council of Texas and the Mid South States. “Not only is it safe and green, but it will provide hundreds of highly skilled, good paying jobs for our members as we transport, erect and install the infrastructure.”

Byford joined Amtrak in April 2023 to begin developing a team focused on high-speed opportunities throughout the US. In his newly created role, he will develop and lead the execution of Amtrak’s long-term strategy for high-speed rail throughout the country.

In addition to current Amtrak service in Texas and planned station improvements, Amtrak submitted grant applications for daily Sunset Limited service and the extension of the Crescent from Mississippi through Louisiana and Texas. Amtrak supports Kansas DOT’s Heartland Flyer Extension Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) application that will connect Wichita and communities across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas to the Amtrak network. Amtrak also supports Texas DOT’s applications for the Texas Triangle (Dallas – Fort Worth – Houston – San Antonio) routes.

The post Texas Central and Amtrak may explore high-speed Rail Service opportunities between Dallas and Houston appeared first on Travel And Tour World.

S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister said that India and Bhutan are thinking about constructing a rail- link concerning Bhutan and Assam. The minister also mentioned the rail-link’s possibility to surge the
tourism prospect of both places.

Jaishankar said that they are discussing regarding the rail connection between Bhutan and Assam. Bhutan is very ardent to open more routes for tourists and it is extremely well-intentioned for Assam.

Previously in April, the examination for this railway route was carried on. This railway line is expected to
function back and forth concerning Bhutan’s Gelephu to Kokrajar in Assam.

This would be the first-ever railway link between India and Bhutan and it is predictable to be finished by 2026. The Indian administration will provide funds for the 57- kilometer railway.

The post New rail-link between Bhutan and Assam appeared first on Travel And Tour World.