WRITTEN QUESTION E-0541/97 by Ria Oomen-Ruijten (PPE) and Petrus Cornelissen (PPE) to the Commission (21 February 1997)

Subject: Cross-border travel involving public transport by rail

1. Can the Commission confirm that, when selling tickets for cross-border travel, the Dutch railway company, NS, cannot, as a rule, give consumers information regarding all the applicable fares and (group) reductions in all the countries covered by the journey to be undertaken?

2. Is the Commission aware that the travel zones covered by reduced-fare tickets of different railway companies do not connect up with each other, with the result that rail travellers are forced to pay full fare for the part of the journey involving the border crossing, and that they are also obliged to alight from the train at the first station beyond the border in order to buy a new reduced-fare ticket at the ticket office because that ticket cannot be bought on the train or at the point of departure?

3. What possibilities does the Commission see for encouraging the use of public transport for international journeys and for harmonizing national fare scales and reduced-fare schemes for cross-border travel by public transport in the EU?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission (10 April 1997)

The Commission attaches the greatest importance to the development of rail transport and in particular to the improvement of international services that facilitate transport between the Member States.

To achieve this, the railways must offer passenger services that are competitive with those provided by other modes of transport, in term of price, convenience, comfort and flexibility. It is therefore necessary to create a framework that will both permit and induce the railways to offer the services that their customers demand. The Commission, in its White Paper 'A strategy for revitalising the Community railways' ((COM(96) 421. )), proposed an overall policy designed to achieve this end. The Commission also dealt with the improvement of public transport in its Green Paper 'The citizens network' ((COM(95) 601. )).

The Commission is naturally concerned about the difficulties which passengers seem to face in buying discount tickets for cross border trains. It is aware that this may discourage the use of rail transport for international travel and believes that the Community must create the framework that encourages the railways to improve their services. The Commission is working actively on this matter and has proposed opening access to railway infrastructure for international passenger services which should stimulate the development of services designed for the needs of international travellers. However, this framework must allow the railways the independence of management necessary if they are to respond rapidly and fully to their customers' needs, under the supervision of the national authorities.

Consequently, the setting of fares, including the offering of discounts, is the responsibility of the railways themselves, and of their supervisory authorities. It is up to them rather than the Commission to ensure the provision of information and the selling of tickets in ways that induce more customers to use rail for international journeys.