The impact of high-speed rail and low-cost carriers on European air passenger traffic

The expansion of high-speed passenger rail service is often argued as a potentially effective, lower-carbon substitute for intercity air travel. Previous studies on the impact of high-speed rail on air travel in Europe and Asia have primarily examined the impact of travel time and price on market share for a specific city pair (or a handful of city pairs). There has been little focus on the extent to which high-speed rail (HSR) has reduced total short-haul air travel demand (versus market share), or on the potential impacts of high-speed rail on system-wide air travel demand. This paper presents an empirical, econometric analysis of air travel demand in Europe, utilizing an expanded data set to explore: (1) the impact of rail travel times, population density, and market characteristics on air traffic; and (2) the impact of high-speed rail and low-cost-carriers on system-wide air traffic. Although improvements in rail travel times have resulted in reductions in short-haul air travel, variations in city and airport characteristics significantly influence the substitution between air and rail. This paper also finds that HSR substitution has resulted in a modest reduction in system-wide air travel demand, whereas the expansion of low-cost carriers has led to a significant increase in total European air traffic. As concerns about the climate impacts of transportation grow, these results have significant implications for future transport and energy policy.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2014.01.015
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X14000304
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/29485010
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Clewlow, Regina
  • Sussman, Joseph
  • Balakrishnan, Hamsa
• Publication Date: 2014-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 136-143
• Serial:
  • Transport Policy
  • Volume: 33
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0967-070X
  • Serial URL: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/issn/096707X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air travel; Econometric models; High speed rail; Intercity transportation; Low cost carriers; Mode choice; Passenger traffic measurement; Travel demand
• Geographic Terms: Europe
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01526467
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 29 2014 9:27AM