WRITTEN QUESTION E-2034/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(10 July 2002)

Subject: Availability of European domestic and international train timetables at stations in all the Member States

1. Is the Commission aware that until recently most of the national railway companies in the Member States published a separate timetable, in parallel with their national ones, of certain trains going to neighbouring countries and the rest of Europe particularly for neighbouring regions, long-distance connections and the most frequent destinations but that, since the increased availability of electronic timetables, more and more of them are ceasing publication of these timetables, so that people without internet access find it increasingly difficult to obtain information on the length of journeys and the departure times of trains outside their country of residence?

2. Is the Commission also aware that the German rail operator Die Bahn issues a twice-yearly Kursbuch Europa, costing 7,65 euro, in collaboration with the European Timetable published since 1873 by Thomas Cook Publishing, which lists all the main international rail and ferry links in Europe, as well as a selection of the major train routes in the individual countries?

3. Could the Commission take steps to ensure, in the interests of promoting use of the train as a long-distance cross-border mode of passenger transport, that this European railway timetable is available not only at German railway stations, in some specialist bookshops and by post from the British publisher, but also in the main stations of the EU Member States, possibly in the form of a publication under the joint responsibility of the European railway companies?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-2033/02, E-2034/02 and E-2035/02given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2002)

The Commission agrees entirely with the Honourable Member about the shortcomings of cross-border rail travel. That is one of the reasons why the Commission has proposed that all such services operated with public service obligations should be subject to rigorously monitored and time limited public service contracts, let on the basis of open, competitive tender.

In response to Parliament's concerns, the revised proposal(1) includes stronger powers for authorities to extend integration arrangements (including pricing and ticketing) across national borders.

A consultation process with the industry started recently on whether computerised reservation systems should be revised in order to achieve a better travel-information to passengers and to ease reservations on international rail transport. On the result of this consultation, the Commission will consider whether Council Regulation (EEC) No 2299/89 of 24 July 1989 on a code of conduct for computerized reservation systems(2) should be revised.

Within the framework of Directive 2001/16/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2001 on the interoperability of the trans-European conventional rail system(3) a TSI (technical specification on interoperability) will be developed on passenger Telematics from 2004 onwards. In this way travel information and ticketing systems should be made interoperable.

As far as the refund policy of railway undertakings is concerned the Commission will take up this issue in the initiative to promote rail passenger rights as announced in the 2nd railway package(4). The Commission will encourage the railway industry to establish voluntary service quality commitments and the Commission is planning to present a proposal for a regulation on passenger rights in 2003.

(1) Amended proposal for a Regulation on action by Member States concerning public service requirements and the award of public service contracts in passenger transport by rail, road and inland waterway, OJ C 151 E, 25.6.2002.

(2) OJ L 220, 29.7.1989.

(3) OJ L 110, 20.4.2001.

(4) COM(2002) 18 final, Communication from the Commission to the Council and the Parliament, Towards an integrated railway area.