23
Oct
2024
Watch
Need to strengthen rail travel and the railway sector in Europe (debate)
Since the 1990s, we have been promoting the transition from road to rail, aware that medium and long-distance rail is the most efficient mode of transport and a sustainable alternative to road and air transport. We have committed to building the TEN-T network by 2030 to meet our Green Deal targets of reducing transport emissions by 90%. All this is accompanied by co-financing from various European funds. However, the reality is that rail is not used as much as it should, and this is corroborated by the 2020 figure that rail accounted for only 5 % of passenger traffic and 11 % of freight traffic between the Member States of the European Union. We are also witnessing that investment in the road continues to outperform investment in rail and the closure of railway lines in rural and cross-border areas. Although the current European budget foresees 26 billion euros for transport through the Connecting Europe Facility, this is simply not enough. I think we must all work together to make sure that our railroad plans are not just on paper. We need to step up our efforts to make rail the backbone of public transport in all European regions and accessible to all our citizens, no matter where they live. That is why we need to develop accessibility standards for public transport that allow access to essential facilities for our citizens without the need for a private car. By doing so, we are not only ensuring emission reductions, but what is equally important, if not more important, is that people stay in rural areas and thus demographic renewal.