Before the extraordinary meeting of European transport ministers in Brussels today on 4 May, CER calls on decision makers to support railways to emerge as a sustainable and attractive alternative to air transport on short- and long-haul distances beyond times of crisis.

“Rail has to be considered as the key pillar of European transport, both for regional and long-distance traffic,” demands CER Executive Director Johannes Ludewig. “If Europe sets the right priorities today, rail can become the main transport choice on distances of up to 1,000 km in the near future.”
 
On European level, no clear concept is in place for the time being for passenger transport on distances between 500 and 1,000 km. Railways are certainly in a position to provide these services, in particular through high speed lines, under the condition that the necessary infrastructure is properly financed.
 
When European air transport was completely paralysed two weeks ago, many railway companies made an exceptional effort to guarantee an alternative, efficient and safe transport solution. On top of the 22 million European citizens served every day, the reaction of the railways was as strong and fast as possible: national contingency plans were implemented and additional trains were organised to satisfy the extraordinary demand.
 
“While we are proud of the reaction of our member companies, CER wants to discuss with the European Commission and EU member states possible measures to improve the intermodal and crossborder coordination between rail and aviation to the benefit of passengers,” says Johannes Ludewig.
 
In order to achieve a sustainable and efficient rail network at the European level, EU institutions and member states have to strengthen their financial commitments, paying particular attention to crossborder lines. The recent experiences have shown once again that the financial envelope for the TEN-T network should also take into account the fact that a healthy European rail network is not only essential for an environmentally sustainable European transport policy but also a strategic logistical asset.