Trans-European railway transport: interoperability. 2nd package

The committee adopted the report by Sylviane AINARDI (EUL/NGL, F) tabling a large number of technical and drafting amendments to the proposal under the codecision procedure (1st reading). It specified inter alia that the economic assessment to be attached to each draft TSI must also look at environmental, safety and social concerns. Another amendment called for trains to be equipped with a recording device, following the example of the road and air transport networks, and for the data thus collected and the processing of the information to be harmonised. Lastly, the committee included a new clause in the annexes to the two directives providing for the harmonisation of operational communications, involving the alignment of the rules and procedures used by the different networks and the development of a common code or vocabulary to ensure operating efficiency and safety on the trans-European high-speed rail network. It pointed out that, for cross-border journeys, it was essential that the various parties concerned should use a terminology or code to prevent misunderstandings. �