Because trains in Italy also cost twice as much as planes, the Greenpeace report explains the hoax:«This is how the most polluting vehicles are rewarded»

The association compared the cost of plane and train tickets for 112 European routes.In 71% of cases flights are cheaper than trains

In the path traced by the European Union to build a more sustainable economy, the transport sector plays a crucial role.In particular, air transport, which according to the European Environment Agency alone is responsible for 3.8% of the entire continent's CO2 emissions.The most logical alternative to replace some of the busiest air routes is to invest in strengthening the railway network.To date, however, warns a reports of Greenpeace, train travel in Europe costs more than double that of air travel, despite having a significantly lower climate impact.The environmental association's analysis compared plane and train tickets for 112 European routes in 9 different time periods.The result:in 71% of cases flights are cheaper than trains.This situation is partly due to the often aggressive pricing strategies of airlines.For some of the routes analysed, passengers are offered very cheap flights with an intermediate stopover, which cause greenhouse gas emissions up to 10 times higher than simple rail travel.

The situation in Italy

Looking at the specific situation in Italy, Greenpeace's analysis estimates that on average a train journey is two and a half times more expensive than a plane.A figure that places us fifth in Europe in the ranking that measures the cost difference between the two modes of transport.In the 15 Italian routes examined, 13 offer cheaper airline tickets than their train counterparts.Any examples?To travel from Rome to Paris you can find plane tickets starting from €29, while train prices start from a minimum of €73 and can reach over €200.The same goes for the Rome-Vienna route, which can cost up to 10 times more by train than by plane.To travel from Milan to Luxembourg the plane ticket costs three times less than the train, while from Venice to Cologne the cost of travel by rail is 2.2 times higher than that by plane.

The tax advantages of airlines

According to Greenpeace, the cost difference between the two transport systems is primarily due to one reason:the various tax obligations.In fact, to date, the association says, airlines pay neither the kerosene tax nor VAT on international flights.The companies that deal with rail transport must instead pay energy taxes, VAT and in some cases also high railway tolls.«The aviation industry is one of the most harmful sectors for the climate and airlines can offer tickets at rock-bottom prices because they benefit from scandalous tax advantages, which push European citizens to choose the most polluting means of travel», comments Federico Spadini, Greenpeace Italy Transport campaign.«Low-cost airlines – adds Spadini – exploit every loophole to lower fares, but flights costing just a few euros are only possible because the environment and workers pay the bill».

The «climate ticket»

And it is precisely to correct this distortion that Greenpeace, together with many other environmental associations, is asking European governments to intervene to make rail transport more convenient for citizens.One of the proposed solutions is the so-called «climate ticket», a long-term ticket, economical and valid on all means of public transport in a specific country.The solution was experienced successfully by Germany, which introduced the «9 euro ticket» last year.The experiment lasted three months and led to a record number of 52 million subscriptions sold.At the end of the trial period, the government of Olaf Scholz has decided to extend the measure but raising the monthly ticket price to 50 euros.The Italian branch of Greenpeace has launched a signature collection to introduce a "climate ticket" in Italy too.A measure which, according to the association's calculations, could be repaid by taxing extra profits on fossil-based companies and gradually eliminating tax exemptions for airlines.

Credits:ANSA/Mourad Balti Touati