New interurban coach services in Germany and France: which European perspective ? The key role of bus station…but where to locate them ?
Résumé
Germany in 2013, and France recently, are rediscovering long distance coaches. In Germany, it is
much more than a rediscovery because in 2014, more than 20 million passengers took advantage of
more than 280 relations. New French started in September 2015.
Are we facing today a revenge of the road on the rail in continental Europe? Why did such a new
institutional reorganization come so late in France and Germany? Section 1 and 2 will investigate
the reason of the recovery of long distance coach in France and Germany and highlights some particularities
of today interurban coach transport. Section 3 will highlight the key role of regulating
agencies and balanced market development in the future of European interurban coach transport
market. Section 5 will reveal the key function of bus station – where locate the stops of these new
services in metropolitan regions? - in the success of this new service.