The meteoric rise of high-speed European rail travel in recent years has been accompanied by the development of premium services that rival first-and business-class in-flight experiences. Rail Online has outlined the latest market insights.
Rail Online general manager in Australia and New Zealand, Kirsty Blows, says innovations like wide leather business-class seats aboard trains and access to lounges at stations are among the executive services on offer.
Eurostar, for instance, offers Business Premier lounges in London, Paris, and Brussels.
“In some cases, these products exceed those offered by airlines. Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa high-speed trains, for instance, include a single-carriage Executive Class, styled by Italian design firm Pininfarina and featuring 10 reclinable seats, all offering window views and 180° rotation. The Executive Class carriage also incorporates a five-seat meeting room for those who want to work while in transit, and prior to boarding, Executive passengers can relax in an exclusive FRECCIAClub lounge.”
Additionally, a number of operators are also preparing to unveil luxury sleeper services, featuring private cabins with showers and toilets. They include Austrian national rail company ÖBB (Vienna/Munich to Milan, Genoa and La Spezia) and Belgian-Dutch cooperative, European Sleeper (Brussels to Berlin via Amsterdam).
Rail Online chief executive, James Dunne, notes a change in rail travel this year.
“In 2022 Australian rail travellers in Europe and the UK were more likely to travel to off-the-beaten-track destinations for post-pandemic reunions with friends and relatives (VFR traffic). This resulted in an increase in the sale of rail journeys to less-frequented regional towns, particularly in the UK.
“Bookings for 2023 show a clear return to traditionally popular sectors for Australian leisure travellers, with particularly strong sales for sectors such as London-Edinburgh, London-Paris, and key routes from the French capital to the country’s south.
“In 2022 Australians used rail networks to reconnect with the people they love, this year it’s all about rail journeys to the places they love.”
Other Rail Online market insights:
RAIL PASSES VS P2P
While prices for some popular point-to-point (P2P) tickets have risen in response to increased traffic, Eurail pass prices have generally stayed steady or even fallen – making them good value for Australian travellers. At the same time, post-pandemic Australian travellers are incorporating more rail journeys in a single trip, making passes, even more, cost-effective.
As Kirsty Blows explains: “With the Eurail Global pass now offering 33 countries, including the UK, it represents outstanding value and is ideal for Australians visiting three or more countries. Not surprisingly it’s shaping up to be the most popular pass for our customers in 2023.”
MOST POPULAR P2P SECTORS 2023
The Eurostar London-Amsterdam service is fast emerging as one of the strongest-performing routes for 2023. The direct, five-hour service – now operating five times a day – allows Australian travellers visiting the UK to seamlessly connect with a European river cruise departing from the Netherlands’ capital.
A variety of sectors in France are showing strong sales (particularly Paris-Nice) – a trend partially driven by the Rugby World Cup, which will take place during September/October this year across nine venues in France.
In North America, the traditionally popular New York-Washington-Boston route is performing strongly. In December 2022 the US Department of Transportation made available almost USD9 billion in funding to upgrade and expand passenger rail services along the Northeast Corridor (Washington to Boston). This followed the release of USD2.3 billion in funds for intercity and high-speed rail projects nationwide.
AUSTRALIANS EMBRACE NEW UK LOW-COST SERVICE
Australian visitors to the UK are embracing Lumo, a low-cost, high-speed rail operator launched in October 2021, offering services on the East Coast Main Line between London (King’s Cross) and Edinburgh (Waverley). The service offers an identical one-class 2-by-2 seating arrangement in every carriage.
Written by: Peter Needham
