The Commission has proposed on 04.03.2020 to make 2021 the European Year of Rail, to support the delivery of its European Green Deal objectives in the transport field.

A series of events, campaigns and initiatives in 2021 will promote rail as a sustainable, innovative and safe mode of transport. It will highlight its benefits for people, the economy and the climate and focus on the remaining challenges to create a true Single European Rail Area without borders (click here for more info).

EPF fully supports the objectives of the proposed European Year of Rail. In particular, we acknowledge the Commission’s objective of promoting the benefits of rail by reaching out to the wider public and of bringing citizens closer together by highlighting the cross-border dimension of rail.

EPF wishes the European Year of Rail to be a success. Serious engagement with users’ representatives will be vital to any chance of successfully realising the proposal’s objectives.

As a first step, EPF was present at the stakeholder meeting organised by the European Commission on 12.03. During this meeting, the EC presented its proposal and next steps, and the stakeholders were invite to discuss how to contribute to this ambitious project. Willy Smeulders reinforced the need to focus on the passenger in this #EUYearofRail: “These are the ones who will use rail and we should focus our work on their needs”!