Modern jet aircraft can travel at speeds of up to 1,000 km/h. However, in commercial operations, planes usually fly at speeds between 500 km/h to 800 km/h, as speed is balanced against fuel consumption.
On the other hand, high-speed trains typically reach a maximum of 360 km/h, which is roughly one-third the speed of aircraft. Despite this, trains are still highly competitive. Why is that?
What Makes Aircraft “Slow”?
Although aircraft travel faster in the air, several factors make their overall journey time longer:
1. Airport Location
Airports are usually located outside city centers due to their large space requirements—often spanning several square kilometers. Reaching the airport typically takes around 60 minutes or more. Train stations, in contrast, are usually located in the heart of cities. Even in space-constrained urban areas, train stations can be built underground, making them far more accessible. As a result, the travel time to and from train stations is significantly shorter than to airports.
2. Check-in and Security Procedures
Air travel involves a lot of bureaucracy. Passengers must arrive early to check in, go through security checks, and drop off baggage. Trains, by contrast, allow passengers to walk straight onto the platform without these formalities.
At the destination, air passengers must also wait to collect their baggage. Train travel, again, has an advantage—passengers simply disembark with their luggage and leave.
3. Boarding Time
Trains allow for faster boarding. For example, the Eurostar (with a capacity of around 750 passengers) has 18 doors—just over 40 passengers per door. For comparison, the Airbus A380, currently the world’s highest-capacity passenger aircraft, can seat up to 850 people but typically carries around 555 passengers in a three-class configuration. It has 8 doors, translating to approximately 70 passengers per door. Aircraft boarding remains slower due to safety protocols and limited door usage.
Additionally, safety regulations require all air passengers to be seated with their luggage stored before take-off. Trains can depart while passengers are still stowing their bags or finding their seats. High-speed trains like the TGV often stop for just 2 minutes at stations, while aircraft may take 15 minutes or more to board.
Some stations even have platforms on both sides of the train, doubling boarding efficiency.
4. Delays in Takeoff and Landing
Even after boarding, aircraft face more delays. They must taxi to the runway and wait for takeoff clearance, often queuing behind other planes. Upon arrival, they may circle the airport waiting to land, and further delay can occur while waiting for a free gate at the terminal. Trains, on the other hand, generally arrive and depart on schedule with minimal waiting.
Conclusion: For journeys up to 400 km, high-speed trains are often faster door-to-door than aircraft. This has led to airlines going out of business on routes well-served by high-speed rail.
Why Not Compete on Price?
You might assume airlines could compete with trains by offering cheaper fares—but that’s difficult.
Aircraft are significantly more expensive to build and maintain than trains. For example:
The most expensive train, the Eurostar, costs around Rs 16 lakh per seat.
In comparison, most aircraft cost about Rs 80 lakh per seat.
Operating costs are also much higher for airlines. They must pay high airport landing and service charges, and jet fuel is extremely expensive. Trains, while they do incur rail infrastructure costs, are still much cheaper to run overall.
As a result, airlines typically have 2-3 times higher operating costs than train operators. Offering a low-cost service is not a viable option for most airlines. In India, for example, airlines compete with the air-conditioned second-class fares of Indian Railways.
Real-World Examples of Aircraft Being Displaced by Trains
Paris–Lyon (France)
One of the most successful examples of high-speed rail competition with airlines. The 450 km journey was cut to 2 hours with the launch of the TGV service in 1981. Air traffic between the two cities dropped by 40%.
Paris–Brussels
This 340 km route became fully operational with the Thalys high-speed service in 1998. The journey time is now just 1 hour and 30 minutes—greatly reducing air travel demand.
London–Paris / London–Brussels (Eurostar)
Thanks to the Channel Tunnel and Eurostar, the London–Paris journey now takes just 2 hours 30 minutes by train. While the flight time is only 45 minutes, total journey time via air (including airport procedures) is around 3 hours. As a result, Eurostar has captured a significant share of the market.
Final Thoughts
Although planes are faster in the air, high-speed trains often win when it comes to total journey time, convenience, boarding efficiency, and cost-effectiveness—especially on routes under 400–500 km. This is why high-speed rail is often the preferred mode of transport for short to medium-distance travel.
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