WRITTEN QUESTION E-1080/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 April 2002)

Subject: Cross-border railway between Groningen and Bremen; finding a publicly acceptable and appropriate solution for resumption of the service

1. Does the Commission agree that the situation regarding the upgrading and operation of the short cross-border rail link between Nieuweschans and Leer is an example of inadequate cooperation between EU Member States and even creates the impression that there is no EU whatsoever and that EU efforts to overcome the traditional backwardness of border areas and obstacles to cross-border connections are being disregarded?

2. Does the Commission consider that we can continue to accept a situation in which the short cross-border link between the Dutch and German railway networks, both of which operate hourly services, can continue to constitute an unnecessary barrier creating serious problems to the use of the railways for cross-border traffic as a result of misunderstandings, disputes and conflicting interests?

3. Does the Commission consider it acceptable that passenger trains are not returning to this line, or only with a connection that is of significantly poorer quality, because of the need for an extra change, than it was before the old connection was suspended in 2000?

4. Does the Commission agree that the most obvious, publicly acceptable, appropriate and affordable solution is that the existing hourly service between Groningen and Nieuweschans should be extended a short distance over the border to Leer, instead of having a few special cross-border trains a day or a very limited shuttle service between Nieuweschans and Leer?

5. What measures does the Commission envisage taking in order to help bring these protracted and unproductive disputes to an end as soon as possible and ensure that the original objective of the upgrading work, namely a better and more frequent train connection with as few changes as possible between Groningen and Bremen can be achieved without delay?

Supplementary joint answerto Written Questions E-1078/02, E-1079/02 and E-1080/02given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 2002)

The Commission has been informed by the relevant German and Dutch authorities that the upgrading of the Groningen-Leer railway line has been completed, and that currently three trains in each direction are being operated, with a change-over in Nieuweschans (NL) at the Dutch-German border. By the end of 2002, it is foreseen to increase traffic to seven direct-trains per direction.

The public authorities have organised a public tender for the service in 1999/2000. The contract has been rewarded to Noordned for the domestic services in Groningen. For the cross-border service various difficulties regarding e.g. rolling stock and certified staff, have evolved before it was possible to actually contract the service with the railway undertaking Noordned and Dbregio.

The Organisation, gestion, marketing (OGM) study(1) the Commission launched to assess the actual and potential market for international rail passenger services, showed that public authorities often fail to regulate regional cross-border-rail services and that service levels deteriorate. In the case of the Groningen-Leer service, the public authorities on both sides of the border actually decided to take action to contract regional-cross border rail services and successfully implemented this. Another example of a successful re-opening of a cross-border link is the service operated between Gronau (D) and Enschede (NL), for which the Interreg program provided funds to upgrade the railway line. As announced in the Communication Towards an integrated European railway area(2), the Commission will take action to improve cross-border rail transport and it will propose a regulation for rail passenger rights.

The upgrading of the existing Groningen-Leer railway line, subject to co-financing decisions in the framework of the trans-European transport network (TEN) and the Interreg Programme, serves the improvement of cross-borders rail services in the short and medium term. The construction of a magnetic levitation line between Amsterdam-Groningen-Bremen and Hamburg has not been considered in the framework of the trans-European transport network so far; any such proposal would have to be substantiated by a sound demonstration of its technical, economic and financial viability.

The relevant national authorities have confirmed vis-à-vis the Commission that the upgrading project has been carried out in accordance with the original objectives. As far as the transport TEN contribution is concerned, the Commission plans to formally close the funding decision in autumn 2002, following a final technical and financial control.

The Commission is not aware of any technical factors that could impede the immediate opening of services on the line.

(1) See http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/rail/library/ogm-report.pdf.

(2) COM(2002) 18 final.