Air Canada Expands Intermodal Network In Europe And Asia With South Korean Air-to-Rail Connections

Travelers to Europe and South Korea now have more sustainable and seamless connections as Air Canada expands its intermodal options across Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. Passengers flying with the Star Alliance carrier can have long been able to book onward land connections across bus and rail networks to their final destinations, but now be able to reach a range of new destinations.

All change please

Air Canada initially launched its intermodal offering in December 2023 for destinations across France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The airline is partnering with AccesRail to allow customers to book efficient connecting rail or bus segments as part of their itinerary.

Booking all the tickets together also provides protection in the case of any flight delays or disruptions, as passengers will have both their air and land segments rebooked to provide peace of mind. One can even check-in for the train or bus portion of their trip with AccesRail prior to departure, avoiding the need to obtain a separate train or bus ticket. Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning and President of Cargo at Air Canada, revealed how passengers can use the service to travel more sustainably:

“Following a successful launch in Europe last year, Air Canada is further growing its intermodal strategy to more European gateways and to Asia making it possible for our customers to connect on Trenitalia, Renfe , 5 operators in the UK including National Express, and KORAIL in South Korea.

“The expanded offer will make it easy for our customers flying to and from our international hubs to add convenient rail or bus connections on a single itinerary. Our intermodal connections not only provide more choice, but also make available sustainable options for short-haul segments of their journey.”

The new options join the airline’s partnership with Lufthansa Express Rail Product, allowing passengers to book trips on trains operated by France’s TGV-SNCF Voyageurs, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, Swiss Federal Railways, or ÖBB, the national railway of Austria.

Where can you go?

Those looking for an Italian adventure can take one of Air Canada’s flights to connect with Trenitalia’s regional, overnight, and international train routes. The airline flies to Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), from which passengers can connect with the train to travel to up to 30 onward destinations, including Florence, Naples, and Reggio di Calabria.

This winter, Air Canada is flying to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) and Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) where passengers will be able to connect at airports with Renfe. The train operator has a combination of high-speed AVE trains, classic traditional trains (including night trains), and regional trains that cover over 11,600 miles of track in Spain. The new partnership allows customers to reach to up to 24 onward destinations throughout the country, including popular tourist cities such as Cadiz, Granada, Pamplona, and Zaragoza.

One of Air Canada’s busiest international routes is to London Heathrow Airport (LHR), which it serves 49 times per week this winter. In the United Kingdom, Air Canada has inked deals with four four rail companies, LNER, Avanti West Coast, Great Western Rail, and the TransPennine Express to reach 32 destinations. In addition, passengers can book busses with National Express, which offers links from the airport to 28 points, including Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, and Southampton.

For those looking to travel in the other direction, Air Canada flies direct nonstop from Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal (seasonally) to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport(ICN), where customers can now connect conveniently to KORAIL’s KTX high-speed Trains via the AREX Express and Seoul Station. The high-speed rail network allows visitors to reach anywhere in South Korean in under under 3 hours, with the agreement covering eight onward destinations Busan, Dongdaegu, Gwangju, Jinju, Mokpo, Pohang, Ulsan and Yeosu.

WIth the new agreements, the carrier now has 13 intermodal rail options and one bus option, plus its 40 codeshare airline partners.