2021: the year to put rail on the right track

The European Year of Rail should be a year to make rail transport more competitive and solve the old and well-known problems - outdated infrastructure, lack of cooperation and protectionism, says the EPP Group

“The European Year of Rail must not be only about events, marketing and exhibitions. We have to put the railways on the right track and make them more competitive in comparison to road and air transport. The European Year of Rail is the perfect opportunity to invest more in infrastructure, research and innovation of the rail sector, as well as better cross-border cooperation”, underlined the EPP Group’s Deputy Spokeswoman in the European Parliament's Transport and Tourism Committee, Barbara Thaler MEP, ahead of today’s vote on the European Year of Rail 2021.

“It is high time for the rail sector to rise to its full potential. Digitalisation, modernisation, completion of the Trans-European Transport Network and improvement of other cross-border links will put more people and more goods on trains”, highlighted Thaler.

Moreover, Thaler underlined that the European Year of Rail should also focus on promotion and support of the rail profession.

“Train drivers working on cross-border connections are required to speak and write on a very good level in the respective national languages. Road and aviation transport don’t face such discriminatory provisions. I propose establishing English as a second and common language within the railway sector. This will make a big leap towards competiveness for the entire sector”, she concluded.