EC Proposes Regulation to Ensure More Competitive Rail Freight in Europe
December 12, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
On Dec. 11, the European Commission (EC) adopted a proposal for a regulation that would involve working with European Union (EU) member states to designate international rail corridors, thereby providing operators with an efficient, high-quality freight transport infrastructure.
The EC says this action, which represents a a decisive step in promoting the international rail transport of goods, is central for reviving Europe's rail system and creating a transport system in the European Community that is both efficient and sustainable.
"The commission, member states, infrastructure operators and all other parties in the railway sector must get down to work together to make competitive goods transport happen," said Antonio Tajani, EC vice president responsible for transport.
"The commission is acting here fully in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. Member states are - and will remain - free to suggest or sketch out these corridors themselves. Our proposal is intended to make the railway infrastructure a more attractive option for long-distance freight transport across Europe."
The development of rail freight is a key issue for transport in Europe. Rail transport creates little air pollution and could be a competitive alternative to transport by road.
The EC's ambition is to increase the proportion of goods transported by rail by encouraging the creation of corridors along which conditions for freight transport can be significantly better than is currently the case. As a result, rail operators will be able to offer an efficient, high-quality service and be more competitive in the goods transport market.
In particular, corridors linking EU member states will make it possible to:
- Integrate national infrastructures on the basis of closer cooperation between infrastructure operators, both on investment and actual operation.
- Respond better to rail freight operators' requirements.
- Manage effectively those infrastructures that are used by passenger and goods trains so that freight is no longer at a systematic disadvantage.
- Ensure better connections between the rail infrastructure and other modes of transport, which is essential to the development of co-modality.
The creation of international railway corridors for the transport of goods is not a new idea. It was already in the "logistics package" the EC adopted in October 2007, whereby the EC signaled its intention to come up with specific proposals geared to establishing a railway network in Europe that put freight first.
Coming after wide sector consultation and detailed impact assessment, the EC's Dec. 11 proposal is intended to put in place many of the measures required to ensure the sustainable development of rail freight.
Source: European Commission.