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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kelly-Ann Mills

TUI to offer train tickets instead of short-haul flights to discourage plane travel

Holiday heavyweight TUI is set to offer passengers rail tickets instead of plane seats in a bid to discourage short-haul air travel.

The huge travel firm, which has bases throughout Europe, is making the move in its Netherlands section of the business.

“Traveling more sustainably means offering your customers different transport options And trains are definitely part of that”, Arjan Kers, managing director of TUI Netherlands, said.

"Where the train can be an equivalent replacement for the airplane, we will gladly put this in the spotlight.

Would you swap your city break flight for a rail ticket instead? Let us know, join the debate below?

Rail tickets could replace short haul flights (Getty Images)

"And even where it is not a replacement but a valuable addition, we want to draw attention to it," Mr Kers added.

Six city breaks to Copenhagen, Prague, Vienna, Venice, Milan and Florence, will now offer be offered as rail journeys due to a collaboration between TUI and train travel start-up Green City Trip.

Entrepreneur Hessel Winkelman of Green City Trip added: “In the travel world you hear from everyone that it has to be more sustainable.

The initiative is launching in the Netherlands (NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"Now the deed is followed by the word by the greatest.

"The train also saves on price and stress.

"Just think of those long queues and cancellations at Schiphol.”

Rail groups have welcomed the news (Getty Images/Cultura RF)

A spokeswoman for ProRail, which runs the rail network in the Netherlands, added: "There is still plenty of room on the track and there are certainly plenty of opportunities in the night segment.

“International rail traffic has the future as a sustainable alternative and supplement to the airplane.

"The train is a more than a good replacement for important urban destinations, certainly up to about 750 kilometers.”

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