Interrail latest: Britain to withdraw from train scheme which lets tourists traverse Europe with one ticket
The UK will be removed as part of the Interrail and Eurail schemes, which allow passengers to travel around Europe on a single train ticket, following a dispute.
Eurail is attempting to merge Eurail and Interrail tickets into a single pass covering both European and non-European travellers, but RDG has refused to sell the option because it clashes with its Britrail scheme, which also targets non-European citizens. The association claims offering both tickets would be “confusing” for passengers – something the UK rail industry wants to tackle through a fares reform.
From January 2020, UK rail journeys will no longer be covered by either the Interrail or Eurail passes, said Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents UK train operators.
The former Labour transport secretary Andrew Adonis said the decision to pull out of the Interrail scheme was shocking. The decision came shortly after the new British government announced its intention to leave the European Union with or without a deal on Oct. 31.
Those passengers who’ll be travelling from UK to Europe, will not have much impact with this change as they still would be able to travel across EU countries, but they will no longer have the option of starting their trip from their home station.
In that case, they will have to begin their journey on the Eurostar from London St Pancras station.
The Eurail Group currently offers two passes: Eurail, which allows non-European citizens to travel freely across Europe, and the Interrail pass for EU citizens.
A one-month BritRail pass costs €605 (£557) for adults and €363 for those 25 and under. A one-month Interrail pass costs €603 for adults and €464 for those aged 12 to 27.
Britain has been part of Interrail since its launch in 1972.
