The European Rail Campaign (UK), an EPF member organisation, campaigns for better rail connections between the UK and the rest of Europe. In a recent article, they highlighted the growing difficulties for passengers who wish to combine rail and sea travel in one journey.

“There remain very few good examples of through Rail/Sea/Rail integrated travel & ticketing across Europe. There are far too many Rail/Sea/Rail connections which could work, if only there was more political support. Here is just one example of the poor cross-border situation between France and the UK,” says Nigel Perkins.

In their article, they point to the decline of integrated services that once allowed passengers to book combined tickets and travel more easily between the UK and mainland Europe. Barriers include the lack of cooperation between operators, fragmented ticketing, and the absence of political will to support cross-border services.

A striking example is the deteriorating situation on the cross-Channel routes between France and the UK, where connections that should be straightforward have become increasingly complicated and less attractive for passengers.

Read the full article here.