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Revisions to VAT (value added tax, or sales tax) for passenger transportation are coming up in Europe, and various organizations are pushing for changes that will make travel by rail more competitive. “The new Youth on Track coalition wants EU decision makers to seize upon the unique chance to boost train travelling in Europe,” T&E writes.
Having lived in Europe for more than a decade, you can picture me standing up and giving a loud standing ovation for this. Unfortunately, it’s far less expensive to get a cheap regional airline ticket in the US than a rail ticket to go to the same city. You are strongly encouraged to fly, the much more carbon intensive option, than ride rail in just about every case. Something needs to change to make rail travel more competitive, and this is apparently one of the things that could change. (Rail transport isn’t exempt from VAT, while flying is!)
“The Youth on Track coalition, uniting youth organisations, consumer groups, and environmental NGOs, is calling on the EU to address the issue of rail ticket prices that are often higher than flights and that of booking systems that make cross-border train travel too complicated. With the Single Ticketing Package and the upcoming revision of VAT rules for passenger transport, Europe has a unique chance to make trains a more affordable and easier way to travel.” Sounds wonderful.
The full letter from T&E and several others is here. Here’s one short excerpt that is shocking, but also completely believable: “As highlighted in recent Greenpeace reports, travelling by train within Europe is twice as expensive as flying and up to 26 times on certain specific routes — an unfair imbalance that undermines climate goals.”
Let’s hope this gets through to Mr Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, and the EU makes some changes.
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