More than half of Europe’s popular short-distance journeys can be replaced by rail, according to a report provided by Greenpeace by Italy’s OBC-Transeuropa Institute.

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The document analyzed the 150 most important short-haul flights within the European Union and the 250 most important short-range flights within Europe. (Island connections were excluded from the analysis because they could not be replaced by rail.) 53% of the 30 most common short-haul journeys within the European Union were found to have direct rail connections between the two locations.

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For 10 percent of the most frequently used trips, the distance can be completed in four hours by train, with another 19 percent in six hours. In Austria, this applies to 80% of short trips, including some day and night express train services.

“Besides direct overnight trains, nearly half of short journeys in Europe can therefore be replaced by train journeys,” said Greenpeace spokeswoman Herwig Schuster. That’s why the organization is calling for a ban on easy-to-displace flights in Austria, such as flights connecting Vienna to Budapest, Prague and Munich.

Replacing all 250 of Europe’s most popular journeys with rail would save 23.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. This corresponds to Croatia’s annual emissions, Schuster said.

According to Greenpeace, the goal is to develop railways and make them much cheaper than flying. In addition, rail transport should take place faster and more frequently, especially in eastern and southeastern Europe.

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