14 January 2022

EU launches push to increase rail travel

In December of last year, the EU launched a new initiative to support the green transition of mobility and transport in the block. According to Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, “Europe’s green and digital transition will bring big changes to the ways we move around. Today’s proposals set European mobility on track for a sustainable future: faster European rail connections with easy-to-find tickets and improved passenger rights support for cities to increase and improve public transport and infrastructure for walking and cycling, and making the best possible use of solutions for smart and efficient driving.”

Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean added “Today we are proposing higher standards along the TEN-T network, boosting high-speed rail and embedding multimodality, and a new north-south Corridor in Eastern Europe. With our Intelligent Transport Systems Directive, we are embracing digital technologies and data-sharing. We want to make travel in the EU more efficient–and safer–for drivers, passengers, and businesses alike. The cities linked by EU infrastructure are our economic powerhouses, but they must also be lean cities–for inhabitants and commuters. That is why we are recommending a dedicated framework for sustainable urban mobility to guide the faster transition to safe, accessible, inclusive, smart and zero-emission urban mobility.”