Slow travel

In the UK, the number of rail passengers increased 2.4% in 2019, hitting 439 million in total, according to The Office of Rail and Road, while in August 2019, Eurostar reported its busiest month on record, with more than a million passengers – constituting a 4% increase in the number of riders over the past year.

The “flight shaming” movement plays an undeniable role in the revival of rail travel. As consumers are shifting their daily habits to be more sustainable, many are turning away from flying altogether, a la Greta Thunberg. “Today’s travelers, including millennials, are very sustainability-conscious,” said Carlo Boselli, Eurail and Interrail general manager. “According to our most recent survey, in 2019 the low carbon footprint of rail travel was relevant in the decision about the mode of transportation for a holiday for 71% of Interrailers, nearly 20% more than in 2017.”

Everyone from corporations to fashion designers are jumping aboard. In the summer of 2019, Climate Perks launched a program to incentivize train travel for employees. The company encourages employers to offer additional paid ‘journey days’ to staff who travel by train or boat instead of flying, to offset the extra time needed for a journey by rail.

And Chanel, the luxury fashion house and venerated tastemaker, underscored the elegance of train travel with its Resort 2020 collection. The collection debuted at Paris Fashion Week in May 2019 at Le Grand Palais, which had been transformed into a glamorous prewar Beaux-Arts style train station to elicit “the promise of an adventure,” the brand explained.

The allure of train travel is also driven in part by the all-encompassing wellness movement, which sees consumers looking for opportunities to slow down and engage more deeply with the world around them.