1. The Dutch carrier is taking more concrete steps towards a greener future with the announcement of a high-speed rail replacement service for one of its popular short-haul routes between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and Brussels (BRU).
2. KLM has teamed up with NS Dutch Railways and French-Belgian high-speed train operator Thalys to promote the service to connecting passengers who would otherwise take what Business Traveller dubbed Europe’s most expensive (on a per-mile basis) flight.
3. The 93-minute rail connection from Brussels Midi station will be offered from March 2020 as KLM reduces the daily frequency on the route from five to four.
4. The KLM Cityhopper route is primarily used by Belgians planning to catch an international flight out of Schiphol, which has a much bigger range of destinations than its counterpart in Brussels.
5. More than most European airports, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is well-positioned to support a connecting air-rail concept. The main terminal houses an intercity railway station that also has a stop on the high-speed Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam line.
6. Intermodal transport involving trains and planes remains a complex and challenging business. Speed is key, not only in terms of the train itself, but also the transfer process at the airport.
7. KLM said it was favour of replacing short-haul flights with rail ‘as long as trains fully match the speed, reliability and comfort that air travel offers’.
8. As one of Europe’s busiest airports, Schiphol departure slots are extremely valuable. Cutting down on short-haul connections could be the best solution for KLM not losing out on more long-haul business.
9. The airport has also told airlines to encourage passengers to take surface options when making short connections such as from Brussels, Paris and Düsseldorf.
10. This is intended as the first step in a programme to gradually cut back the number of flights between Brussels and Amsterdam, with passengers using rail to connect with intercontinental flights at Schiphol.
11. This would support the airline’s sustainability initiatives, and enable airport slots to be used for flights to long-haul destinations.
BOOKING SYSTEM
1. The airline plans to offer a dedicated check-in desk at Schiphol to ensure air-rail transfers are as smooth as possible.
2. KLM states the new product, branded Air&Rail, is easy to book via their website or at travel agents.
INTERNATIONAL RAIL AND AIR ASSOCIATIONS TO CO-OPERATE ON TICKETING
1. In February the International Union of Railways and the International Air Transport Association have signed a memorandum of understanding covering co-operation in standard setting and interoperability, with a focus on data exchange to support intermodal travel.
2. Areas for co-operation include: Journey planning; reservations; ticketing, including irregular operations processes; industry coding, including location codes; check-in and validation control; accounting and settlement; legal matters
3. IATA represents 290 airlines carrying 82% of total air traffic, while UIC has 200 members from across the global rail sector.
4. Both organisations are developing digital standards for ticketing, and ‘to work on established interfaces right from the design phase
5. Offering passengers a single ticket for rail and air travel ‘gives them the opportunity to choose the best of both worlds by optimising their journey as well as their carbon footprint’.
(Source: railwaygazette)
