Action plan to boost long distance and cross border passenger rail
The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted an own-initiative report by Annalisa TARDINO (ID, IT) on the action plan to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail.
Members support the action plan to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail transport and the need to set ambitious targets to make rail transport more attractive and efficient.
The plan fully contributes to the achievement of a wide range of objectives, including creating a safe and fully interoperable single European railway system, improving sustainability, promoting multimodal ticketing, creating jobs, enhancing connectivity, with particular attention to remote, island, mountainous and less populated zones.
Better implementation of the Union rail acquis and accelerated interoperability
Members welcomed the acceleration of the work to ensure the full implementation of the 4th Railway Package and the Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI). They stressed that the full deployment of the ERTMS, through the achievement of the targets in the revised legislative proposal for the TEN-T Regulation, will help to create a digital single European railway area, ensuring the further development of increased network capacity, safe, secure, fast and efficient rail transport services for long-distance and cross-border connections.
Boosting long-distance rail transport must be accompanied by its integration into different inter-regional, regional, urban and peri-urban rail networks as well as with other modes and TEN-T, thus improving door-to-door mobility.
The report also stressed the importance of: (i) speeding up the construction of new rail lines and of further promoting the completion of infrastructure projects, including bridges connecting islands to the mainland, in order to close existing missing links and to improve the integration of islands with the motorways of the sea; (ii) ensuring the synchronised deployment of trackside systems and on-board units and of the need for improved ERTMS governance; (iii) ensuring quick, sufficient and efficient financing and funding to support investments.
Strengthened infrastructure for passenger rail
Members considered that the timely completion of the multimodal, seamless TEN-T core network corridors by 2030 will be a first step to further network integration. This must involve the elimination of bottlenecks and missing links and the completion of cross-border sections. They support the completion of planned high-speed rail connections in the extended core network by 2040. Priority investments should be also directed at the development of long-distance, cross-border high-speed rail connections, especially in areas where there is currently no high-speed rail infrastructure.
The Commission is invited to adopt actions and projects to support better connectivity of local sustainable and rail multimodal transport in peripheral and coastal areas with lower margins for development. Members stressed the need to improve the use of EU funds to secure massive high-quality investments in sustainable and efficient transport infrastructure, including missing high-speed rail links.
Sufficient rolling stock availability
The report called for the clarification and simplification of State aid rules on the public funding of interoperable rolling stock for cross-border transport and related service facilities, as well as for railway infrastructure services in the revised Railway Guidelines. It called on railway companies to plan sufficient orders of high-speed rolling stock, in line with the Commission’s goals to double high-speed by 2040. The rolling stock for night train services needs timely planning in order to facilitate the renaissance of night trains.
Members also stressed the need for clear requirements and specifications for interoperability and further investments in rolling stock.
Adapting training and certification of train drivers
The report stressed the lack of harmonisation of train driver certification may hamper their mobility between Member States and the development of long-distance passenger services, particularly in cross-border sections. It highlighted, furthermore, the need to promote a single EU-wide working language, namely English, for train drivers operating long-distance and cross-border passenger rail connections who do not speak the languages of the Member States crossed during the journey.
More efficient use of networks
The report stressed the importance of ensuring improved use of the network especially along the TEN-T, and called for measures to smooth passenger flow, including establishing transit and terminal nodes along high-speed routes, and to enhance the attractiveness of night trains. It encouraged Member States to provide a multi-annual perspective in the funding of their infrastructure in order to allow planned and internationally coordinated infrastructure maintenance and development, reduce temporary capacity restrictions and improve reliability in international rail.
The report also stressed the importance of:
- fair and appropriate track access pricing for all operators, while ensuring a level playing field between incumbents and new entrants and ensuring that infrastructure networks are adequately funded;
- more accessible smart ticketing to facilitate multi-modal journey planning;
- appropriate protection for passengers in the event of delays or missed connections: regardless of whether they have booked a through ticket or separate tickets, passengers should at least be offered onward travel, which is a key factor in their choice of transport mode;
- explore all possibilities to ensure a level playing field with other modes of transport;
- the role of public service contracts in promoting the continuity of cross-border services for European citizens and improving connections to interesting destinations, such as tourist and historical destinations;
- maintain the momentum of the European Year of Rail 2021 in the context of the European Year of Youth 2022 by encouraging young people to travel by train and attracting them to professions in the railway sector.