The great difference between our journeys and activity schedules and those of our forebears lies in the much longer distances we travel. By road, and even more so by rail and air, nowadays we can cover hundreds or even thousands of miles in a few hours. Inter-urban mobility is directly affected...

France embarked on high-speed rail travel almost 40 years ago. Today it carries more passengers by far on its high-speed trains than any other European country. Regarded as something of a niche activity initially, high-speed rail has become a national priority in France as evidenced by its 1...

The purpose of this paper is to set out the reasons for this success and, in particular, the propitious environment in which it was achieved: an environment which certainly does not prevail today. Having had the political courage to launch the first high-speed line in Europe, France will no...

This paper examines the optimal level of public transport pricing in metropolitan areas, using Stockholm and Paris as case studies. It shows that overall welfare improves if public transport prices are increased during peak hours to balance demand and fund additional services in the peak. This...

This paper assesses the impact of European rail transport regulation in the past 25 years. It highlights competition as a necessary condition to overcome the inertia of legacy railway operators, but argues that competition is not sufficient to increase efficiency when they feel protected by the...

This paper discusses the importance of reducing the space consumption of car traffic as opposed to simply reducing individuals' travel time. It highlights the role of app-based mobility services in reducing urban congestion from a spatial perspective and the importance of shifting the focus from...

This paper examines the relationship between traditional public transport and innovative mobility solutions such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS). It looks at how MaaS could change the role of public transport authorities from providing transport services to facilitating mobility, and considers...