CREATION OF A EUROPEAN RAILWAY AREA AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE WHITE PAPER ON EUROPEAN TRANSPORT POLICY

The rail sector has fallen behind in building a united Europe. Surface transport will be required to adapt to change, particularly the inclusion of new member states mainly from Eastern Europe. International demand for railway travel has been growing at twice the rate of domestic demand. Failure to meet the international requirements of freight has resulted in the shift of freight from rail to road, a trend which the European Commission considers should be reversed. If the share of passenger transport is to increase, high speed railways are required. The White Paper proposes that all types of transport infrastructure should be charged for, that a high-speed trans-European transport network prioritising rail bound transport should be developed, and that support to modes of transport not using roads should be increased. Measures specifically for the rail sector, a new infrastructure package, conventional rail interoperability, the quality of rail freight services, and passengers' rights/obligations are described.