Italy's primary train operator, Trenitalia, is testing a new route that would connect Venice to neighboring Slovenia's capital city of Ljubljana. The new service could begin as soon as April 2024 if Trenitalia decides to proceed, reports Euronews.
"The time seems to be ripe for the restoration of a cross-border service between the two countries," FS Italiane, Italy's state-owned rail operator, said, as reported by Euronews.
The trip between the two cities would reportedly take around seven hours by train, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) post, compared to under three hours flying, as TimeOut reports. The outlet noted that the time it takes to get through an airport brings those travel times a lot closer together.
Crucially, the environmental impact of traveling by train is exponentially smaller than that of traveling by airplane, as Our World in Data has suggested.
In 2019, international flights in the EU contributed about 89.9 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to Statista. By contrast, in 2020, train travel contributed only about 3.9 million tons of CO2.
Trains can run on electricity generated from clean, renewable sources, as opposed to airplanes that run on dirty fuel; eco-conscious travelers therefore have an option that is significantly less harmful to the planet and can make more conscientious choices.
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And since fast trains emit the smallest amount of planet-overheating gases per passenger of any form of travel (apart from walking and biking), per Our World in Data, it is good news for the planet that more high-speed rail options are appearing all over Europe and Asia.
Unfortunately, rail options in North America lag far behind, with fewer train options, older technology and infrastructure, and unreasonably high prices.
The new line between Venice and Ljubljana could also spur more tourism to the Slovenian capital city, which offers several attractive features for the eco-conscious traveler, including high walkability and beautiful national parkland nearby.
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