“The rail supply industry would like to see EU legislators address a range of issues in rail” (Politico Mobility Newsletter)

NEW TRAN MEPS SHOULD PRIORITIZE RAIL, UNIFE SAYS: From tech innovation for freight trains to the harmonization of European rail infrastructure, the EU has plenty of ways to make rail more attractive as a mode of transport. According to Enno Wiebe, the newly appointed director general of the European rail supply industry association (Unife), “the attractiveness of rail went down” in recent decades due to “a lack of modern connections” and fierce competition from air travel.

Too low: When low-cost airlines burst onto the scene in the early 2000s, “some flights were [being] offered for €4 to €10 and then you get somewhere in 90 minutes to the sunny riviera,” Wiebe told Tommaso. “Compared to train ticket [prices] and travel time, there was no competition.”

Time for a change: Now, however, “there is a momentum to boost freight” along with passenger services, meaning that incoming TRAN MEPs should give “a real push for railways.” Wiebe called on the lawmakers to start by “boosting deployment” by improving “the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).”

Long time, little progress: After more than 20 years, the train control system at the heart of the ERTMS has only been installed on 25 percent of trains and one in six trackside signals. The industry therefore wants the EU to move away from the old national systems that have made cross-border travel difficult, and embrace better coordination.

Connectivity: “If you have a look at the international trains of 20 or 30 years ago, you find examples like the Orient Express,” but also “direct train connections from Central Europe to Athens and to Turkey and from Central Europe to Southwest Europe,” Wiebe said. Most of these direct connections no longer exist, as Greenpeace recently highlighted.

Fewer barriers, fair competition: “We are now slowly getting back there again” Wiebe added, citing the comeback of night trains. “But we need more positive examples and to overcome the technical barriers.” The European rail supply industry, he said, is “open to competition,” but “there must be some fair rules.” He cited the International Procurement Instrument (IPI) as the right tool to improve reciprocity in non-EU public procurement markets.

Outdated technology: Another item on the rail industry wishlist is Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC), a component that automatically couples and decouples rolling stock on a freight train. “We still couple freight trains like we did 150 years ago,” Wiebe said. “We use screw coupling, which is a completely mechanical thing. It is very burdensome and dangerous because … a human being has to get between two freight wagons and couple them manually.”

Investment needed: The DAC “allows freight wagons to be coupled automatically, mechanically and electronically, just as we already do for passenger service.” The system has been used in the U.S. for decades, Wiebe said, while in Europe, “perhaps we have not been the most innovative sector for some decades.” The change will require investment, so “we need to discuss about financing and funding” — which is where Brussels could step in to make rail freight safer and more efficient.