CZECHIA CALLS FOR EU DISCUSSION ON RAIL FREIGHT DECLINE
Czechia has called for a discussion on the situation of the rail freight sector at the upcoming Transport Council meeting on 8 June, amid continued concerns over the declining competitiveness of rail freight across Europe. In a letter sent on 18 May to Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Czech Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik outlined a number of possible measures to support the sector and indicated that discussions with other Member States are already ongoing. According to the Czech initiative, concrete proposals are expected to be presented during the June Council meeting.
Among the priorities identified are targeted investments in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and multimodal terminals within the next EU budget framework. The initiative also calls for improvements in capacity management, including giving greater priority to international rail freight traffic. Additional measures highlighted include stronger support for combined transport, the development of terminals and marshalling yards, and the modernisation of single wagonload systems. The deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is also identified as a key priority to improve interoperability and reduce operational barriers across the European rail network.
The initiative was welcomed by representatives of the rail sector, which described the proposal in a joint statement as an important and timely political signal for the future of European rail freight.