EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/839

(2004/C 78 E/0893)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3640/03

by Herbert Bösch (PSE) and Johannes Swoboda (PSE) to the Commission

(9 December 2003)

Subject: Withdrawal of direct cross-border rail connections

From 14 December 2003 new train timetables will become operational in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Certain direct overnight train services, viz. Vienna/Brussels (EN 324 Donau Walzer), Brussels/Vienna (EN 325 Donau Walzer), Brussels/Chur (D 499) and Chur/Brussels (D 499) no longer appear in the new timetables. The Vienna/Amsterdam, Amsterdam/Vienna direct overnight connection had already been withdrawn in mid-December 2002. These services are being or have been discontinued even although the trains were and are generally well used, and gave a significant boost to summer and Christmas tourism in resorts in Austria. Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) were concerned to maintain the service to and from Brussels and Amsterdam, but the railway companies in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands were opposed, for various reasons, to continuing them. ÖBB does not, however, have the capacity to maintain these trans-European rail connections on its own.

Can the Commission state how many direct trains between Member State capitals and third-countries bordering on the EU have been withdrawn in the last five years?

What action is the Commission taking to promote cross-border passenger transport, in particular against the backdrop of EU initiatives to promote trans-European networks? What arrangements is the Commission making to ensure that the liberalisation process at European level will not mean a deterioration in the service to users? Can the Commission provide a breakdown of the take-up of TEN appropriations by Member State over the last five years? What impact does failure to implement railway projects have on rail users?

Can the Commission Member responsible state what trends have been identified in cross-border freight and passenger traffic by road and by rail in the European Union since 1995, and provide a forecast of future trends over the next ten years? What has been the trend in transit traffic through Austria since 1995, and what scenarios does the Commission Member anticipate for Austrian transit traffic over the next ten years?

What priority should, in the Commission Member's opinion, be set for cross-border freight and passenger traffic in coming years in the European Union, in Austria in particular, as between rail or road? What will be the impact on the ease of access to particular European regions by public transport? What actions has the Commission already taken to implement its objectives, and what further actions will follow?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(6 February 2004)

The Commission is aware that a large number of international train services operated cooperatively between national railway undertakings have been discontinued. According to information received from these undertakings, the services in question often made heavy losses, and in the absence of any public service subsidies, the undertakings chose to withdraw them for reasons of sound financial management.

Cumbersome cooperation arrangements and the absence of any commercial benefit for many undertakings involved in the cooperation are another reason why these services are not being maintained.

The Commission considers that this sector of the market would benefit from being liberalised in order to promote a more commercial approach and allow a single undertaking to assume responsibility for the services from start to finish.

The implementation of the first railway package in 2003 created a new legal framework which should facilitate such operations by international groups of undertakings and ultimately by any interested railway undertaking, when the services are fully liberalised in accordance with Parliament's wishes. The creation of RailNetEurope in December 2003, which brings together all infrastructure managers, will promote the development of international train paths which can be used by undertakings wishing to set up such services on a more dynamic commercial basis — essential if they are to head off the strong competition from low-price airlines and regular bus services, which are developing rapidly in Europe.

The Commission, being aware of the challenges facing the rail sector in the transport system, has undertaken in the first and second railway packages, with which Parliament is very familar, and in the third package, soon to be adopted, to establish a comprehensive European regulatory framework intended to revitalise the sector by allowing it to offer safe, high-quality services on a European scale, the only prerequisite for its future success given the other modes of transport which are constantly being improved. It hopes to have the firm support of Parliament in this long-term project, which will involve a major cultural change in the rail sector.

The Commission will send the information requested on traffic statistics and investments directly to the Honourable Members and to Parliament's Secretariat.