HONOLULU — Travelers whisked at 186 mph from Paris to the Mediterranean in just 3 hours aren’t the only ones who have benefited from TGV* Mediterranee, France’s newest high-speed rail line which began commercial operation in the June 2001 and carries 60,000 passengers daily. The French National Railroads or SNCF (Societe des Chemins de fer Francais) was today honored with the American Society of Travel Agents’ (ASTA) 2002 Environmental Award for its efforts in preserving and protecting the environment during the creation of the new line.
Environment and business both win with rail
“The new TGV Med line illustrates how business and environmental interests can, in fact, complement and support each other. It is a success not only from an environmental protection standpoint, but also commercially: because of TGV Med, rail has captured 60% of the combined air-rail traffic on the Paris-Marseille route, compared to the 40% share it held before the new line opened,” noted Bernard Frelat, President and CEO of the Rail Europe Group, White Plains, NY-based subsidiary of SNCF and largest North American distributor of European rail products. “While this gain in market share was hoped for, it has come much faster than anyone imagined.” It is projected that by the end of 2002, some 30 million passengers will have traveled along the new TGV Med line.
According to Frelat, occupancy of trains operating on the new line is 80% and on-time performance is 92% — considerably higher than expected. TGV Med reduced travel times between 140 cities along its route by an hour or more, e.g. Paris-Avignon now 2 hours, 38 min vs. the previous 3 hours, 30 min, Paris-Marseille 3 hours, down from 4 hours 20 min, Paris-Nice, 5 hours, 36 minutes, 1 hour shorter than before.
Environmental advantages of rail
SNCF had an environmental goal in mind when it proposed the TGV Med line in the late 1980s. According to the railroads’ own environmental scientists:
“For every market share point in passenger traffic that rail wins away from the road, the equivalent of approximately 37,000 tons of oil are saved annually. When that increase is won at the expense of air, the savings are 60,000 tons. Less oil burned means less carbon dioxide generated, which helps reduce the greenhouse effect. It is estimated that in a full year of operation, TGV Med will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half a million tons, as a result of travelers who switch from air and road transportation to rail.”**
Special measures to protect the environment
In addition to the general environmental benefits of rail vs. air or car transportation, SNCF planned and constructed TGV Med with more attention and respect for the environment than any other infrastructure project built. The 12-year project allocated 20% of the budget to environmental measures and winning over the support of a local population in southern France that had been initially resistant to the concept of building a rail line through their beloved landscape.
Teams of environmental specialists were hired. One million trees were planted, along with native shrubs and grasses, even vineyards to ensure that the traditional landscape and flora were preserved. Special measures were taken to minimize the impact on wildlife, including the creation of special passages under the tracks and recreating ponds and wetlands that lay in the path of the rail line. Construction was scheduled so as not to interfere with breeding pattern of an endangered species of eagle. Perhaps most important, a monitoring system administered by local people was established to measure the long-term success of these impact-minimizing measures.
ASTA Environmental Award
ASTA has honored those in the travel industry working to protect and preserve the environment with its Environmental Award since 1981. Previous winners have included the “Green Hotels” Association and Serena Hotels and Lodges.
To book travel on TGV Med and other trains throughout Europe, contact Rail Europe at 1-888-382-7245 or consult the company’s Web site, http://www.raileurope.com.