UK Train Firms' Full Steam Reverse On Interrail Departure

Britain's train operators on Thursday said they were reversing a decision to pull out of the Interrail pass programme, a day after announcing the move to a backlash from travellers

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Aug, 2019 ) :Britain's train operators on Thursday said they were reversing a decision to pull out of the Interrail pass programme, a day after announcing the move to a backlash from travellers.

"We are pleased to be able to tell passengers that we have reached agreement and will be remaining part of both the Interrail and Eurail passes," The Rail Delivery Group, which represents British train companies, said on Twitter.

The group said it had decided to renew talks with Netherlands-based Eurail, the company which runs Interrail, "following the strong reaction to news of our departure" and underlined that it had never wanted to leave Interrail.

The Eurail group, which represents 35 European train companies and is headquartered in the Dutch city of Utrecht, had said on Wednesday that travellers would no longer be able to travel to Britain on Interrail passes from 2020.

Eurail and the Rail Delivery Group blamed each other for the decision but said it was not Brexit-related.

Interrail passes currently let EU citizens use trains across 31 countries.

Eurail passes are for non-EU citizens, for example tourists coming from America or Asia.

The Rail Delivery Group had said on Wednesday that it had ended a trial of the Eurail pass in favour of a homegrown variant called Britrail.

Interrail passes cost between 20 Euros ($22) and 400 euros ($450) depending on how long they last and how many of the 30 participating countries they cover.

The EU planned two years ago to give all 18-year-olds free Interrail passes but derailed the scheme because it was too expensive.

Launched in 1972, Interrail passes were initially designed for young passengers but are now available for all age groups.

A so-called "Interrail generation" grew up using the passes to experience different cultures and countries on the cheap in the years before mobile phones and social media.

Interrail passes were immortalised in the 1994 film "Before Sunrise", in which an American tourist played by Ethan Hawke falls in love with a French woman (Julie Delpy) on a train to Vienna.