38-39 rail feature 30/1/09 18:25 Page 38
38 rail
Fast track
to Europe
A fully integrated high-speed rail network in Europe: this is the goal for
the train operators working together as RailTeam, whose aim is to create
serious competition for short-haul air travel. Adam Coulter reports
urope’s rail network has traditionally been number of products and agreements which should make
E
made up of distinct state-owned monopolies life simpler for business travel consultants and buyers.
with little interest in their neighbours, with a Nick Mercer, commercial director for Eurostar, says:
few exceptions. Observers of European rail “One aim of RailTeam is to give a consistent form of
will have noticed the situation gradually branding and to communicate that consistency to the
changing, with more co-operation between the passenger. Take connecting services for example. Apart
different bodies under the banner of RailTeam. from DB and Swiss which have an integrated network,
RailTeam currently comprises seven European train no other train operating company was communicating
operating companies: Eurostar, SNCF, Deutsche Bahn, the idea that you could connect.”
the Dutch firm NS Hispeed, OBB (Austrian), SBB
(Swiss) and Belgian operator SNCB. It also includes iTimetables & MapBerries
subsidiaries Thalys, Lyria and Alleo. The group is open The first improvements available on the website
to other operators joining in the future. include downloadable timetables and information on
Though officially formed in July 2007, the alliance how and where to change trains. The website will also
has been slow in promoting itself because it did not have real-time information, maps showing how the
want to make big promises that it couldn’t deliver on. network is developing and icons which can be
All that is set to change this year, with the launch of a imported onto iPhones and BlackBerries.
ttgbusiness.com ❖ february/march 2009
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