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

EUROPEAN YEAR OF RAIL EXTENDED TO 2022?

On the 3rd June 2021 The European Passenger Federation(EPF) along with 4 other stakeholders sent a letter to the European Commission asking for 2022 to become The European Rail of Year and Public Transport. As an associate member of the EPF we fully support this initiative as the Covid 19 situation has severely curtailed people’s ability to travel around Europe in 2021. It would also make sense to extend the promotion of Rail to Public Transport in general in view of the climate emergency. Click here for more information: http://www.epf.eu/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/UITP_Make-2022-the-European-year-of-rail-and-public-transport.pdf

CONNECTING EUROPE EXPRESS

As part of The European Year of Rail promotions, a special train will be touring Europe leaving Lisbon on 7th September and finishing in Paris on 7th October. What a shame that it will be missing out the UK – when the train will also be visiting Serbia & Macedonia who like the UK are not members of the European Union and happy to support the European Year of Rail in 2021. Click here for more information: https://www.connectingeuropeexpress.eu/

May 2021

RAIL TO THE COP : On the 1st May Youth for Sustainable Travel (YfST)launched their campaign for sustainable travel to the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow to be held from 1st – 12th November 2021. YfST is a group of young climate activists and experts registered in the Netherlands. For further information click here: https://railtothecop.com/ EUROSTAR’S FUTURE SECURE FOR NOW : On the 18th May Eurostar announced they had agreed to inject a further £250 million into the business with their shareholders and bankers. Now that travel restrictions are slightly relaxed , Eurostar hope to run two daily services on the London to Paris route from the 27th May. For further information click here: Eurostar secures £250m financing agreement with

April 2021

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF” THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF RAIL” This was formally launched under the current Portuguese Presidency of the EU on Monday 29th March. Working with Back on Track, Greenpeace and other environmental groups, we published an open letter outlining a 5 point action plan. The plan sets out specific actions needed to to achieve much improved cross-border and long distance rail services across Europe. For further information click here: – OPEN LETTER (greenpeace.org) EUROPEAN PUBLIC OPINION POLL SHOWS SUPPORT FOR SHIFTING FLIGHTS TO RAIL YouGov carried out a survey with a representative sample of over 6000 adults in 5 different EU countries in early February. The survey confirmed an increasing concern over the problem of transport related emissions. It also