Member States should drive forward the growth and competitiveness of the rail sector 30/06/15

< Back to list

Member States should drive forward the growth and competitiveness of the rail sector

Customers, passengers, independent rail operators, combined transport operators, terminal managers and environmental campaigners, call for Member States to drive forward the rail sector’s growth and competitiveness.


At the start of the EU Luxembourg Presidency we the undersigned associations urge the Member States to strengthen their strategic and organisational role in a growth and customer-orientated rail system and to play a central role in driving its modernisation.

Member States hold the key to unlocking rail’s growth and competitiveness. They are for the most part in tight control of the means to achieve this. It is either their national-run operators who dominate the rail market or it is the Member States themselves who hold the purse strings to investment in the rail sector, and indeed in many cases both.

To steer rail away from the under-investment and poor performance that plagues the sector, the undersigned urge Member States to recognise the role that open markets can play in promoting investment and growth to the benefit of customers, society and the environment.

With the road freight sector ploughing ahead with truck platooning and many member states liberalising their long-distance bus markets for the passenger sector, rail needs to be able to keep up with the competition and innovation offered by the other transportation modes.

...to continue reading, please download the file:

Related documents
Open Letter on 4th RP Market pillar EN
Top