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Need to strengthen rail travel and the railway sector in Europe (debate)
Strengthening Europe's rail sector involves several strategic stages, such as increasing funding for infrastructure, upgrading existing lines and building new connections to increase efficiency and capacity, as well as addressing existing bottlenecks. Improving connections between railways and other means of transport is also essential to simplify travel and improve accessibility. Improving regional connectivity is still a challenge in some Member States where there are regions completely detached from the main corridors. This severely affects their economic well-being and competitiveness. It is essential to ensure that rural and less populated areas are connected to large cities in order to avoid widening bottlenecks and economic disparities between regions.