BETTER NEWS FROM ACROSS THE CHANNEL

While the UK cuts airport departure taxes and increases rail fares the French Government announces a new sustainable aviation fuel surcharge to be added to the cost of flights departing from France from this month. Last December The European Commission announced it’s long awaited action plan to improve long distance cross-border train services. See: Action Plan to boost passenger rail (europa.eu)

RAIL AT THE COP

After greeting 500 other activists, a few politicians and railway managers on 30th October off the “Rail to the the COP” first leg on Eurostar at London St Pancras, our roving reporter Ian McDonald then guided them to their special Avanti West Coast train at London Euston for the 2nd leg of their journey. He then went onto Glasgow a week later for the Transport Day of debate and action on 10 November. While he was there you can see that he took the opportunity to promote our campaign. Most people he spoke to agreed that investment in railways rather than battery powered cars is far more effective in combating climate change.

LOW-CARBON GATEWAY TO EUROPE IS BEING UNDERUSED

Our campaign got more publicity this month in the letters page of Rail Magazine – here is the text of our letter which was printed in full: The special report from HS1 Ltd published in Rail 938 could be seen as a load of “Greenwash”. They publish a lot of sustainability statistics for 2020-21 which look good on paper but do nothing for the modal shift they claim to want to achieve. For example, the 14% reduction in electricity use is hardly surprising given the reduced number of Eurostar and Javelin trains using the line due to the Covid pandemic. While they are clearly doing a lot of charitable work with other organizations, none of this is likely to result

RAIL TO THE COP – CLIMATE TRAIN CONTINUES ONTO GLASGOW

On Saturday 30th October our Ian McDonald went to meet and greet the 500 or so politicians, journalists, lobbyists, railway employees and climate activists who arrived on the specially chartered Eurostar train. Staff from Network Rail, Eurostar, and Avanti West Coast were there to greet them. Many others were waiting at St Pancras International to make sure they received a warm welcome to the UK. They were then escorted in small groups on foot to Euston station about 10 minutes walk away. While chatting to various people Ian noted that apart from Belgium, Netherlands and Germany there were people who had come by train from as far afield as Italy and Denmark. Avanti West Coast then pulled out all the

RAIL TO THE COP – CLIMATE TRAIN ARRIVES IN LONDON

WHEN At 11.57 on Saturday 30th October a specially chartered Eurostar train will arrive at London St Pancras. WHO Franz Timmermans(EU Commission Vice President), delegates, journalists, lobbyists and climate activists from Europe having arrived on the Eurostar will then be passing through London. They will continue their rail journey on a connecting Avanti West Coast service to Glasgow from London. They will be going to the crucial United Nations COP 26 Climate conference. Franz Timmermans is responsible for implementing the EU Green Deal and the EU Climate Law. BUT They will have a problem making their connection between the 2 stations. WHY Because it is not very seamless because our only high speed rail link to Europe is not very

KENT REMAINS CUT OFF FROM EUROPE UNTIL 2023 !!

Kent is the closest UK region to Europe. Since the Covid outbreak in Spring 2020, when Eurostar stopped serving Ashford and Ebbsfleet, there has been no direct rail link to France & beyond. You cannot even take a train and ferry via Dover and Calais, as the ferry companies now refuse to accept foot passengers and no longer run connecting buses between the ports and the train stations. Unless you drive a car, you are forced to travel to London & back adding extra time and cost to your journey. Given the Climate Emergency it is ridiculous that the low carbon travel option is not available for Kent residents. One interim solution could be for South-east Trains to sponsor a

LAUNCH OF THE TRAVELSKI EXPRESS – DIRECT TRAINS FROM LONDON TO THE FRENCH SKI RESORTS WILL RETURN THIS WINTER

A company owned by several French ski resorts called “Compagnie des Alpes” will be running direct trains chartered from Eurostar on 16 week-ends this winter. This will not be a train where you buy a ticket from Eurostar, it will be a train where you have to buy a package deal from the company for your holiday. See All Aboard The Travelski Express – Ski Train Back for Coming Season | InTheSnow “

THIS “GREEN” GOVERNMENT’S RAIL POLICY IS A TRAIN WRECK

This was the title of the headline letter we had published in The New European on the 12th August which you can read in full below : – We were very pleased to read Tom Chesshyre’s feature in TNE 254. This provided a critical evaluation of the measures the EU is taking to encourage greater use of the European Rail Network as a low carbon alternative to air travel. It is now quite clear that we face a climate emergency, as evidenced by the sheer number of “record-breaking” fires & floods all over the world. As part of the EU New Green Deal there now seems to be a clear political and financial commitment to improve cross-border long-distance day and

LAUNCH OF RAIL TO COP 26

The Climate Train to the COP 26 Climate Conference in Glasgow has been confirmed for Saturday 30th October. This train has been organised by “Youth for Sustainable Travel” with the support of Eurostar, Netherlands Railways, Avanti West Coast and Prorail the Dutch Rail Infrastructure company. A group of climate activists & others will be taking this special Eurostar train from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Brussels arriving in London at around Midday on Saturday 30th October . They will take the short walk from St Pancras across to Euston to continue onto Glasgow using selected Avanti West Coast services. For further information go to: https://railtothecop.com/apply Rail to the Cop will be promoting the role of sustainable travel in tackling climate change as well as