The Swiss Association for Transport and Environment (VCS) has issued an appeal for direct train connections to be established between the Swiss city of Geneva and major European cities like London, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Brussels. 

VCS calls for investment to make train a better alternative to flying

Following a Greenpeace report that found that the potential for direct rail connections between Geneva and other European cities is majorly underutilised, the VCS has said that more should be done to establish better alternatives to flying. 

London, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Brussels are among the 10 most popular destinations from the airport in Geneva, according to the VCS, yet they could all be reached by train in less than eight hours. In a report addressed to cantonal, federal and cross-border authorities, the association called for additional connections to be established. 

“The international rail offer is unsatisfactory, the number of connections has fallen and the remaining ones are overloaded,” said Caroline Marti, President of the Geneva section of the VCS, Swissinfo reports. Her colleague, Matthieu Jotterand, vice-president of VCS Geneva, added, “To offer a real alternative to air or car travel, rail connections must be practical, comfortable and easy. Switzerland must take a clear position so as not to be isolated from the European network.”

No night trains currently running from Geneva

Their call follows a Greenpeace report into rail connections between major European cities that found that just four destinations can be reached by direct rail from Geneva - Lyon, Paris, Zurich and Milan - while connections to an additional 25 cities could be established on existing infrastructure, with a travel time of less than 18 hours. 

While direct trains run from Basel and Zurich to destinations in northern and eastern Europe like Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, Prague and Budapest, the VCS said it was a shame that there are currently no night train connections from Geneva to western or southern Europe. 

In the report, VCS proposed that Swiss authorities contribute to financing the Lyon area rail bypass project, to help connect Switzerland to high-speed rail lines in France. It also suggested reinstating the direct connection between Basel and Geneva to connect the latter city to night train connections to Germany.