Eliminate shortcuts aeroplane This flight, which can be carried out by train, is the target not only of environmental groups, but also of European governments such as France, which canceled some of these flights. The aim is to reduce CO2 emissions The damages caused by aviation are much greater than the damages caused by the train, it is a more ecological means of transportation.
A study conducted by Ecologistas en Acción shows that by eliminating the 11 airlines currently operating in Spain, 30% to 40% of emissions from domestic peninsular flights could be reduced. Close to 10% of emissions from air transport as a whole in spain.
According to this study, it is estimated that this measure will save more than 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year in total.
The report shows routes such as: They connect Madrid to cities like BarcelonaAir connections between Alicante, Málaga, Pamplona, Santiago de Compostela and Valencia, as well as between Barcelona and Valencia.
Routes that can be changed with train alternatives
Ecologists at Work
It is estimated that there are these routes in total. Used by approximately six million passengers annuallyequivalent to 34.8% of peninsula travelers.
According to the Ecologistas en Acción study, these are the aircraft routes that currently have a daily frequency of at least four in each direction and could be replaced by train services of less than four hours:
- Alicante–Madrid / Madrid–Alicante
- Barcelona–Madrid / Madrid–Barcelona
- Barcelona–Valencia / Valencia–Barcelona
- Madrid–Malaga / Malaga–Madrid
- Madrid–Pamplona / Pamplona–Madrid
- Madrid–Santiago de Compostela / Santiago de Compostela–Madrid
- Madrid–Sevilla / Seville–Madrid
- Madrid–Valencia / Valencia–Madrid
The report also highlights three more air routes that have a daily frequency of less than four per direction and could be substituted for a train journey:
- A Coruña–Madrid / Madrid–La Coruña
- Granada–Madrid / Madrid–Granada
- Logrono – Madrid / Madrid–Logroño
The authors of this analysis wrote that on all identified routes total travel time the journey by train is less than that required to cover the same journey by air.
In general, these are journeys made by train. They last up to four hours and in many cases they have many more frequencies than airways. For journeys between Barcelona and Madrid, for example, more than 40 daily train journeys are estimated to take around 2.5 hours, while fewer than ten air routes take 1.5 hours. traveling to airports (with all amenities) the time investment this requires).
Train tickets are more expensive than plane tickets
However, this project faces a situation that does not help popularize the train among the public: in most cases, using the railway is more expensive than using the plane.
Specifically, train tickets in Europe are on average twice as expensive as plane tickets, and up to four times more expensive in Spain. Greenpeace reports note that citizens are encouraged to fly by choosing airlines and urge the European Union and national governments to favor trains instead.
Trains are generally more expensive than planes
In a context where Europe faces increasingly recurring severe heatwaves, Greenpeace highlights ongoing concerns about long-distance travel policies and their impact on workers in the rail sector and on planetary pollution. The report argues that airline interests are advantaged by tax structures that leave rail out of the same balance.
These observations are used to illustrate the difficulty of shifting travel habits toward rail, despite clear environmental benefits. The emphasis is on how travel choices are shaped by policy incentives, pricing, and the availability of efficient rail options.
The overall message is that shorter train journeys offer competitive travel times and greater frequency, pointing to a viable alternative to air travel for many intercity routes. The goal is to reduce emissions while maintaining convenient and reliable transportation options for residents and visitors alike. This analysis is cited to demonstrate the potential environmental gains from reorganizing travel patterns and investing in rail infrastructure.
Full report on flight elimination: [Ecologistas en Acción, 2023].
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Contact address of the environmental department: [redacted for privacy].