WRITTEN QUESTION E-0436/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 February 2003)

Subject: Criteria to protect cross-border train passengers from the restrictions on boarding or disembarking from international trains

1. Is the Commission aware that cross-border train passengers who face problems because they are denied access to some express services and are now dependent on the willingness of conductors to make exceptions to allow them to board trains, and that it is difficult to discuss the matter because train staff are under instructions to turn passengers away and to allow the trains to depart rapidly from stations?

2. Does the Commission share the view that preventing passengers from boarding or disembarking is extremely bad customer service because the potential passengers on a train bound for their destination are forced to wait a long time for another train, take a different route, travel for much longer or use a mode of transport other than the train?

3. Are measures of this kind compatible with the objectives of the White Paper Time to choose on European transport policy up to the year 2010?

4. Are the increasing number of rules prohibiting the boarding or disembarking from international passenger trains the result of an agreement at European or international level? Was the Commission involved in the introduction of these measures and the relevant criteria? If so, what criteria now apply?

5. Is the Commission prepared to take steps to ensure that more passenger-friendly criteria are applied when introducing or maintaining rules prohibiting embarkation and disembarkation, so that any refusal to accept passengers, is only permissible if, for instance, the passengers can take another train bound for the same final destination within half an hour and connecting with the same through trains at the transfer stations?

6. Is the Commission including a measure of this kind in the regulation on train passenger rights it plans for 2003

Joint answerto Written Questions E-0435/03 and E-0436/03given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(2 April 2003)

The Commission is aware of the fact that there may be conditions to passengers for embarking and disembarking a particular cross-border rail service.

These conditions are part of the commercial policy of railway undertakings on which the Commission has no influence. It is up to the Member States to impose any public service obligations on the railway undertakings in this respect, if they wish to do so.

There could be various reasons for these conditions like comfort and security for passengers in night trains or operational reasons. The Commission is not aware of any detailed arrangement in this respect from the railway undertakings. However the limitations to embark and disembark the trains could be due to the absence in Community law of the right of cabotage in international trains and to the lack of pressure put on the railway undertakings to attract passengers.

The Commission will in the preparation of a proposal for a regulation for rail passenger rights reflect on possible ways to improve the conditions of contracts for passengers. And, as requested by the Parliament, the Commission will make proposals to allow the access rights for international passenger services, in order to eliminate artificial barriers.