After a challenging 2020, 2021 has been declared the European Year of Railways by the European Parliament and the Council.
The year will feature a number of initiatives such as dedicated events, exhibitions and campaigns to promote rail as the most sustainable and innovative mode of transport, as well as supporting the achievement of the 2050 climate targets highlighted in the European Green Deal.
“The European Year of Railways 2021 will put the spotlight on the many benefits of rail transport, through dedicated events, exhibitions and promotional campaigns, reaching our citizens, in particular young people,” commented Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean. “I want to thank the European Parliament and the Council for their support for this initiative, which is part of our European Green Deal.”
How did the European Year of Railways come about?
Before the provisional agreement reached by Parliament and the Council, the proposal for the European Year of Railways went through all the stages of the EU bureaucratic system.
The commission originally proposed it on 4 March, with transport commissioner Adina Vălean saying: ‘There is no doubt that rail transport brings huge benefits in most areas: sustainability, safety, even speed, once organised and designed according to 21st century principles.
“But there is also something deeper about railways: they connect the EU not only physically,” he added. “The European Year of Railways is not a random event. It comes at the right time, when the EU needs this kind of collective commitment.”
By mid-October, the proposal for the European Year of Railways was accepted by the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), which applauded the initiative’s goal of increasing the attractiveness of railways through targeted events.
“The railway, therefore, needs a further boost to become more attractive to passengers and businesses as a means of transport that meets both their daily needs and long-distance mobility needs,” the proposal reads. “Reaching out to citizens beyond the rail sector through dedicated events and communication campaigns will convince more people and businesses to use rail.”
Reducing emissions on European railways
In December 2019, the European Commission launched the European Green Deal, a set of policies to help Europe become the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050. As part of the deal, the transport sector, which accounts for a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gases, has agreed to reduce its emissions by 90%.
To help the sector meet its climate targets, the committee worked to promote the role of railways in the European mobility system of the future, focusing on the environmental friendliness and energy efficiency of railways.
Railways are widely regarded as the most climate-friendly mode of transport, with a steady reduction in CO2 emissions since 1990. As reported by the European Commission, railways across the EU-28 produced 0.5% of emissions in 2017, compared to 72% produced by road transport and 13.9% by air transport.
Initiatives such as the European Year of Railways are expected to help the EU meet its climate targets by accelerating the pace of railway modernisation and customer engagement.
As part of the European Year of Railways, the European Council instructed the Commission to launch a feasibility study on the creation of a label to promote rail freight. According to experts, the label will encourage companies to switch to rail, promoting the commission’s plan to shift 75% of domestic freight transport from road and aviation to rail and waterways by 2050.
The European Year of Railways will also help the sector regain its attractiveness and passenger numbers after plummeting due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our ambition is to go beyond celebrating rail as an environmentally friendly means of transport and an important cultural asset in Europe, we also want to stimulate meaningful discussions on how we can increase the number of passengers and freight travelling by rail, in line with our climate ambitions.” – Adina Vălean
