COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Action plan to boost long distance and cross-border passenger rail
Date: 2021-12-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU action, action programme, carriage of passengers, common transport policy, intra-EU transport, rail transport, sustainable mobility

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 14.12.2021  COM(2021) 810 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL   Action plan to boost long distance and cross-border passenger rail  
 
 
1.  The green potential of rail  

The European Year of Rail 2021 is an opportunity to boost European railways as clean, safe 
and convenient transport for all. Europe’s rail transport is green, with 81%1 of train-kilometres 
travelled  in  the  European  Union  already  powered  by  electricity2,  and  causes  a  low  climate 
impact3  4. Yet rail is not used to its full potential, especially not  as a means of  cross-border 
travel.  Rail  is  estimated  to  represent  only  around  10%  of  collective  cross-border  passenger 
transport in Europe5.   

Utilising this potential is a matter of urgency. The European Green Deal6 and the Sustainable 
and Smart Mobility Strategy7 put rail transport at the heart of the efforts to green the Union's 
mobility system. The common economic assessment8 underpinning the 2030 Climate Target 
Plan and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy looked at a range of possible pathways 
to cutting the economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and achieving 
climate neutrality by 2050. The central pathway focuses on a combination of carbon pricing 
and specific measures that support multimodal mobility and investments in sustainable, safe 
and smart transport. It shows that high-speed rail traffic would double by 2030 and triple by 
2050 if these  measures are implemented. The Strategy  further  aims for scheduled collective 
travel of under 500 km to become carbon neutral within the EU. It also underlines that nobody 
should be left behind: it is crucial that mobility is available and affordable for all and that rural 
and remote regions are better connected.  

This Action Plan to boost long-distance, cross-border passenger rail shows the Commission’s 
commitment to reach those ambitious goals. It provides a concrete roadmap with actions to be 
undertaken mainly within the next two years. When all actions are implemented, cross-border 
rail  transport  will  become  a  much  more  attractive  travel  option  on  long  distances  for  many 
Europeans across our continent. 

The Single Market  is  a  cornerstone of the European Union with  a direct  positive impact  on 
consumers,  businesses  and  public  entities,  and  it  has  benefitted  rail  passengers  with  more 
frequent and innovative train services, at more attractive prices. The existing Union regulatory 
and policy framework for rail provides Member States and the sector with an array of tools and 
possibilities to implement the single European railway area, to remove barriers and to open the 
market  for  new  players  and  services.  The  milestones  the  Sustainable  and  Smart  Mobility 

1   https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/multisite/primeinfrastructure/system/files/prime_external_report_2019_final_210625_0.pdf 
2   https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/rail/market/rail-market-monitoring-rmms_en 
3   The average climate cost for trains is 0.05 €-cent per passenger kilometre, compared to 2.2 €-cent for airplanes, 
0.5 €-cent for coaches and 1.2 €-cent for cars. Source: European Commission, Handbook on the external costs 
of  transport,  2019,  Table  69,  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9781f65f-8448-11ea-
bf12-01aa75ed71a1 

4   European Commission, Handbook on the external costs of transport, 2019, Table 69, 

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9781f65f-8448-11ea-bf12-01aa75ed71a1 

5   within EU, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom combined. Study: Long-distance cross-border 

passenger rail services, Steer and KCW, October 2021 

6   https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en  
7   https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/mobilitystrategy_en  
8   COM (2020) 562 final, “Stepping up Europe’s 2030 climate ambition - Investing in a climate-neutral future 

for the benefit of our people” 

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Strategy has set for the increase in the numbers of passengers travelling by high-speed rail can 
only be reached through additional investments by the Union, its Member States, the rail sector 
and private investors. Service improvements can be obtained by keeping in mind the European 
dimension of the rail network, capacity planning and by making tickets for train services easy 
to find and attractively priced, including as part of a comfortable multimodal journey. Freedom 
of movement across borders is one of the key achievements of European integration, and it must 
be ensured as we tackle the urgent need to make transport more sustainable.   

2.  Seizing the momentum for rail 

Many changes that are needed to improve long-distance, cross-border rail services in the Union 
are underway and now is the moment to accelerate these efforts. Between 2001 and 2016, four 
regulatory packages for railway transport9 have created an enabling legal framework at Union 
level for rail by: gradually opening up rail markets for competition, promoting interoperability 
of  national  railway  systems,  and  offering  the  conditions  for  the  development  of  a  single 
European railway area, where competition and the harmonisation of rules aim to increase and 
to improve the market offer for passengers. Affordability of rail tickets for passengers is thereby 
driven by optimisation and digitalisation of operations and by competition on the market which 
ensures an offer better adapted to customer needs, higher service quality and price competition.   
Market  opening  for  cross-border  services  in  2010  and  domestic  services  in  2020  were  key 
milestones in this process.  

This was accompanied by a very significant and continued investment support provided by the 
Union for the development of the rail trans-European transport network (TEN-T) as well as for 
research  and  innovation.  In  the  period  2014  –  2020,  the  Commission  co-invested  with  the 
private sector over EUR 900 million through the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking, which supported 
more than 100 projects developing cutting-edge innovative solutions to create railway systems 
of  the  future  for  passengers.  In  the  same  period,  the  Connecting  Europe  Facility  (CEF)10 
supported over 400 rail projects with a contribution of approximately EUR 16.5 billion. These 
projects related to major cross-border connections, new passenger and freight lines, the upgrade 
and  electrification  of  the  network  and  its  digitalisation  with  the  European  Rail  Traffic 
Management System (ERTMS).   

Key figures for international cross-border rail in the Union 

Between 2001 and 2018 the number of railway passenger kilometres in the EU-27 rose from 
339.9 to 407.2 billion11. The share of high speed rail in this number increased significantly 
from 19.2% to 31%, nearly doubling from 65 to 126 billion passenger kilometres. 

The modal share of railways, measured in passenger kilometres, increased slightly from 6.7% 
to 6.9%. The modal shares of passenger cars, powered 2-wheelers and coach fell, whereas 
air traffic saw its modal share rise from 6.1% to 9.6%12. 

9   https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/rail/railway-packages_en  
10   https://ec.europa.eu/inea/en/connecting-europe-facility 
11   Statistical pocketbook 2021 (europa.eu)  
12   All modal split figures originate from the Statistical pocketbook 2020. 

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While between 2007 and 2018, cross-border passenger kilometres rose from 20 to 28 billion 
passenger  kilometres  (+40%)13,  these  make  up  just  around  7%  of  all  railway  passenger 
kilometres.  

The number of long-distance cross-border rail services in Europe14 has changed little since 
2001, with around 4,500 train pairs per week. In this period, the number of night train services 
fell by 65% and the number of high-speed services increased by 95%. Also, the number of 
routes served declined, with a focus on more frequent services on core routes15. 

In 2020 and 2021, the rail sector was seriously hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rail passenger 
kilometres fell in the Union by 75% in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same period 
in 2019, and recovered slightly in the following quarters (-38% and -56% for quarters 3 and 4 
respectively)16. National support measures helped only partially to address the negative impact 
of  the  crisis.  Railway  undertakings  operating  on  a  commercial  basis,  without  subsidies, 
providing so-called 'open access' services, proved particularly vulnerable. 

Against this background, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)17 offers an unprecedented 
opportunity for a renaissance of rail and new investments in rail, with almost 50 billion euro of 
additional funding expected for rail.  

There is both the need and the momentum for stronger action on passenger rail. Member States 
have shown their commitment, inter alia through their Platform on International Passenger Rail 
and  through  the  presentation  of  the  Trans-Europe  Express  2.0  concept18.  In  June  2021,  the 
Council encouraged the further development of European rail passenger transport. The latest 
Eurobarometer19  on  daily  and  longer-distance  travel  confirms  that  Europeans  are  ready  to 
switch to a more sustainable mode for long distances provided it gets them to their destination 
as quickly (37%) or at a similar price (36%) compared to their usual mode of transport. The 
European  Parliament  resolution  of  15  January  2020  on  the  European  Green  Deal  stresses  
“…that  the  Single  European  Railway  Area  is  a  prerequisite  for  the  modal  shift  …”  and 
highlights the need “to enable EU-wide equal access to public railway transport and to make 
passenger transport by rail more attractive”. Following the Commission’s proposal, 2021 was 
declared the European Year of Rail, raising expectations that must now be met.  

3.  Actions to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail 

The passenger rail services market has been open for cross-border services since 2010 and for 
domestic services since December 2020. Open access operators can freely offer their services, 

13   https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/default/files/com20210005-7th-rmms-report.pdf 
14   EU, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom 
15   Study: Long-distance cross-border passenger rail services, Steer and KCW, October 2021 
16   Railway passenger transport statistics - quarterly and annual data - Statistics Explained (europa.eu) 
17   https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/recovery-coronavirus/recovery-and-resilience-facility_en 
18   https://www.bmvi.de/SharedDocs/EN/Documents/K/innovative-rail-transport-overnight-21-09-

2020.pdf?__blob=publicationFile 

19   Special Eurobarometer 495, Summary, July 2020, p.27, https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2226.  

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provided they do not jeopardise the viability of existing public services20. Experience and recent 
announcements by railway undertakings show that long-distance and high-speed services can 
often  be  operated  profitably  as  open  access  services,  including  night  train  services21. 
Introduction of competition on high speed lines in Italy and in Spain, as well as on conventional 
routes in Czechia, Slovakia and Sweden has resulted in a more attractive offer, often at lower 
prices with increased passenger numbers22. 

For  connections  or  networks  where  the  market  is  not  (yet)  able  or  willing  to  offer  services  
which  are  deemed  necessary  for  connectivity  or  otherwise  desirable  for  society,  competent 
authorities can use a public service obligation (PSO) and award public service contracts (PSC) 
to rail operators in compliance with Regulation (EU) 1370/2007 on public transport services by 
rail and by road (‘the Land PSO Regulation’)23. PSOs can be imposed only when open access 
operators do not provide the services at the level and quality deemed necessary by the competent 
authorities. 

Whether services are provided in open access or under a PSO, technical, operational and legal 
barriers  continue  to  hamper  the  railway  sector’s  development  and  market-entry.  Hence  the 
Commission conducted a study24 and identified the following actions to remove obstacles to 
the further development of cross-border and long-distance passenger rail services. 

3.1. Better implementation of the Union rail acquis and accelerated interoperability 

Ensuring the  full  and correct  implementation  of  the existing  Union regulatory  framework is 
essential to realise harmonisation of rules and market opening.  In cooperation with Member 
States,  the  Commission  will  continue  to  work  on  the  correct  and  full  implementation  and 
application  of  the  rail  acquis25,  including  the  removal  of  any  redundant  national  rules26. 
Technical and operational barriers arising from the use of different systems hinder cross-border 
traffic  and  increase  costs,  and  in  this  context,  the  deployment  of  the  European  Rail  Traffic 
Management System (ERMTS) is of utmost importance to deliver benefits for passengers.   

20   Member States can opt to limit  the  right  of  access for  new  rail  passenger  services  between a  given  place  
of  departure  and  a  given destination when one or more public service contracts cover the same route or an 
alternative route. In this case, an economic equilibrium test can be requested to assess whether open access 
services would compromise the economic equilibrium of an existing public service contract.  

21   In the study Long-distance cross-border passenger rail services (Steer and KCW, October 2021) a number of 
potential new night train services has been identified, which could be operated when framework conditions are 
right. 

22   For example: in 2021, Ouigo España has carried over 400 000 passengers in its first three months of 

operations between Madrid and Barcelona. https://www.railtech.com/policy/2021/08/20/good-results-for-the-
first-three-months-of-ouigo-in-spain/  

23    Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007 on public passenger transport services by rail and by road and repealing 

Council Regulations (EEC) Nos 1191/69 and 1107/70 (OJ L 315 3.12.2007, p. 1). 

24   Study: Long-distance cross-border passenger rail services, Steer and KCW, October 2021 
25   Notably Directive 2016/2370/EU (OJ L 352, 23.12.2016, p. 1–17), Directive 2012/34/EU (OJ L 343, 

14.12.2012, p. 32–77), and the “technical pillar” of the fourth rail package (Regulation (EU) 2016/796 (OJ L 
138, 26.5.2016, p. 1–43) and Directives (EU) 2016/797 (OJ L 138, 26.5.2016, p. 44–101) and (EU) 2016/798 
(OJ L 138, 26.5.2016, p. 102–149)), together with the Technical Standards for Interoperability (TSI) and 
Common Safety Methods Regulations established under them. 

26   For example by expanding to passenger rail the use of the "issues logbook" which identifies concrete cross-

border issues related to interoperability. 

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The deployment of ERTMS and the associated removal of legacy (Class B) signalling systems, 
must be accelerated. This will bring higher network performance and increased capacity at a 
lower price than building new infrastructure27, alongside substantial maintenance cost savings 
for infrastructure managers. Commonly acknowledged, and demonstrated by experience, the 
use  of  systems  like  ERTMS  with  an  appropriate  block  system  enable  up  to  40%  capacity 
increase on existing infrastructure. Timely and comprehensive uptake is still impeded by first-
mover disadvantage, in particular for rail operators that retrofit before the new technology is 
fully rolled out and delivers all benefits.  

In the context of the review of the TEN-T Regulation28, the Commission proposes to accelerate 
the roll-out of (radio-based) ERTMS from 2050 to 2040 for the comprehensive network and for 
the newly introduced ‘extended core network’. A dedicated TEN-T Coordinator for ERMTS 
assists  the  Commission  in  these  efforts.  The  revisions  of  the  Technical  Specifications  for 
Interoperability (TSIs) planned for 2022 will include improved processes for implementing new 
technologies  and  pave  the  way  to  the  introduction  of  automated  train  operation,  5G  rail 
communications,  and  potentially  satellite  based  services  on  the  network.  New  interoperable 
systems are supported by the Union’s research programmes. The System Pillar introduced in 
Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking29 will provide the mechanism to move towards a harmonised 
innovative framework, building on the achievements of the previous Joint Undertaking Shift-
to-Rail. 

The Commission will: 
-  accelerate the work to ensure implementation and correct application of the four railway 

packages; 

-  accelerate  work  on  removing  national  operating  and  infrastructure  rules  and  further 
develop  deployment  plans  for  the  implementation  of  Technical  Specifications  for 
Interoperability to ensure these are coherent across borders; 

-  propose the acceleration of the roll-out of ERTMS in the revision of the TEN-T Regulation 

(from 2050 to 2040 for the comprehensive network, by 2030 for the core network); 

-  propose a revision of the Technical Specifications for Interoperability in 2022; 
-  continue its efforts to: 

-  ensure  full  and  comprehensive  compliance  with  Union  harmonised  technical 
specifications and common safety methods, including by adopting a strict approach to 
derogations and exceptions; 

-   shorten the time to  market  of key new technologies/applications  and  achieve Union 
harmonised  implementation  of  respective  new  requirements  and  standards,  through 
legal, technical and financial support30; 

-   ensure TSIs cover appropriate standardisation of all rail system interfaces;  

27   ERTMS business case on the 9 core network corridors - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu) 
28   Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on 

Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network and repealing Decision No 
661/2010/EU (OJ L 348, 20.12.2013, p. 1–128). 

29   https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/11910-European-Partnership-for-

transforming-Europe%E2%80%99s-rail-system-Horizon-Europe-programme-_en 

30   Examples of areas for requirements integrating immanent innovation are automated driving, digital automatic 

coupling and future radio communication. 

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-  continue to support equipping infrastructure with ERTMS with a special focus on closing 

existing gaps such as cross-border sections, nodes and terminal connections; 

-   leverage the work of Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking and promote faster and coordinated 

deployment of innovation through the system pillar; 

-    discuss  the  possibility  to  exempt  the  public  financing  of  ERTMS  from  the  notification 

obligation under State aid rules, which may speed up the roll out of ERTMS. 

ERA should: 
-  support the Commission’s endeavours with timely advice and technical proposals and in 

particular the recommendations for the TSI revision; 

-  continue  and  finalise  the  work  with  Member  States  on  the  elimination  of  national 

technical, safety and operating rules that were harmonised at Union level; 

-  support Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking in the system pillar. 

3.2. A strengthened infrastructure for passenger rail 

The  trans-European  transport  network  as  defined  in  Regulation  (EU)  No  1315/2013  has 
established a core network to be realised by 2030 and a comprehensive network to be realised 
by 2050. The TEN-T policy has put stronger focus on cross-border connections, organising the 
most  important  connections  in  corridors  in  order  to  ensure  coordinated  planning  and 
implementation. It also ensured a solid basis for closer cooperation on infrastructure planning 
and  development  with  neighbouring  third  countries.  Key  routes  with  third  countries  are 
essential  to  complete  the  European  railway  network  and  the  Union  membership  of  OTIF 
contributes to ensuring that European technical requirements may apply beyond the Union rail 
network. 

The  Directive  on  streamlining  measures  for  advancing  the  realisation  of  the  trans-European 
transport network adopted on 7 July 202131 will ensure faster procedures for permit granting of 
projects.  In  the  period  2021-2027,  railway  infrastructure  will  continue  to  be  the  primary 
beneficiary of the Connecting Europe Facility, and will continue to benefit from support from 
the Cohesion Fund32 and the European Regional Development Fund33. 

The  proposal  for  the  revised  guidelines  for  the  TEN-T  network  significantly  contributes  to 
improving the cross-border passenger rail network. The proposal comes with a map of key high-
speed passenger rail lines that must be completed by 2030, and a further number of lines that 
are part of the strategically most important links of the TEN-T network to be delivered by 2040.  
These  lines  span  the  entire  European  continent.  The  proposed  Regulation  moreover  sets  a 
minimum standard speed of 160 km/h for rail passenger lines or the TEN-T core network and 
the newly created extended core network and strengthens connections between important nodes 
across Europe, to be achieved by 2030 for the core network and by 2040 for the extended core 

31   Directive (EU) 2021/1187 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 on streamlining 
measures for advancing the realisation of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), OJ L 258, 
20.7.2021, p. 1–13. 

32   https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/cohesion-fund/ 
33   https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/erdf/ 

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network. As passengers are interested in door-to-door journeys, the Commission proposes that 
all major airports in the Union as well as multimodal passenger hubs in major European cities 
are connected to train services. 

The Commission is proposing a revision of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) 
Regulation34, which will improve the passenger rail network and ensure its better integration 
within the multimodal transport system. The proposed revised Regulation will ensure: 
-  new high quality infrastructure for passenger rail; 
-  more ambitious standards and implementation deadlines; 
-   a minimum line speed of 160 km/h for the core and the extended core network;  
-  a strong focus on the delivery of the core network by 2030 and further planned high-speed 

rail connections in the extended core network to be realised by 2040;  

-  particular emphasis on first/last mile connectivity through multimodal passenger hubs in 

all EU cities above 100,000 inhabitants that are connected to the TEN-T network; 

-  strengthening  of  air-rail  connectivity  for  all  core  EU  airports  and  EU  airports  above  4 

million passengers. 

3.3. Sufficient rolling stock availability 

The setting up of new rail services requires large investments in rolling stock, either by railway 
undertakings, by rolling stock leasing companies or by competent authorities where the service 
is provided under a PSO.  

Although most long-distance cross-border services can be operated  commercially, there is  a 
need  to  kick-start  the  availability  of  rolling  stock  for  these  services.  Public  support  to  the 
creation of pools of long-distance cross-border rolling stock, or to the mitigation of commercial 
risks for leasing companies when acquiring and leasing out long-distance cross-border rolling 
stock, could help generating the desired boost. To preserve a level playing field, such public 
support should be given under clear and non-discriminatory framework conditions. Similarly, 
under  the  current  Railway  Guidelines,35  State  aid  for  the  financing  of  rolling  stock  can  be 
provided if that support contributes to an objective of common interest, whilst ensuring a level 
playing  field  among  railway  undertakings  and  among  rolling  stock  leasing  companies.  The 
current  revision  of  the  Railway  Guidelines  will  also  tackle  the  identified  restrictions  to  the 
access to rolling stock. Under certain conditions, rolling stock can also be financed under the 
Union’s Cohesion Policy Funds. 

To boost the availability of rolling stock, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is now launching  
the Green Rail Investment Platform to assist investments by both public and private entities in 
rail projects through existing EIB products and through financial instruments made available 

34   https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12532-Trans-European-transport-

network-TEN-T-revised-guidelines_en 

35   Communication from the Commission, Community guidelines on State aid for railway undertakings (2008/C 

184/07), (OJ C 184, 22.7.2008, p. 13–31).  

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by the Commission36. The objective of the platform is to support sustainable rail investments 
in infrastructure, rolling stock and digitalisation. Selected projects in the area of acquisition of 
rolling stock for cross-border or long-distance commercial passenger operations or cross-border 
high-speed freight services may be eligible to benefit from InvestEU37. In the last five years, 
the EIB supported rail investment in the Union with almost EUR 17bn of loans, of which over 
EUR 8.7bn for rolling stock, including projects for retrofitting and upgrade with ERTMS, with 
similar levels of lending expected in the next five years. In addition, the InvestEU program can 
deliver and attract private financing, including promoting green bonds, and advice to support 
the digitalisation and the deployment of rail innovative companies, sustainable infrastructure, 
and rolling stock. Tools like the Union taxonomy for sustainable activities can act as a guide to 
match investments with Union climate and environmental goals.  

In its conclusions of 3 June 202138, the Council recognised “that major investment by the sector 
in international long-distance rolling stock is required” and “also that investment is urgently 
needed from the private sector” reminding “Member States of the existence of international 
agreements  and  treaties  which  facilitate  private  investment,  such  as  the  Luxembourg  Rail 
Protocol to the Cape Town Convention [on International Interests in Mobile Equipment].” The 
Union  (in  respect  of  its  competences)  and  several  Member  States  have  already  ratified  the 
Protocol. Upon its entry into force, the Protocol will make it easier and cheaper for the private 
sector to finance railway rolling stock. The Commission will promote its swift implementation 
across the Union. 

With  progressive  implementation  of  interoperability  requirements  for  rolling  stock  and 
infrastructure, locomotives, trainsets and passenger coaches will be able to cross borders freely 
and run on multiple (or on all) networks in the Union. Such "go-everywhere" rolling stock will 
make the setting up and operation of cross-border services easier and would greatly reduce the 
residual-value risk for investors or lenders. It will be a priority for the Commission to develop, 
by 2022, requirements to boost such “go-everywhere” rolling stock. 

The Commission will: 
-   in cooperation with the European Investment Bank, actively seek eligible pilot projects to 

acquire rolling stock under the Green Rail Investment Platform / InvestEU; 

-  prepare “go-everywhere” passenger rolling stock specifications, in cooperation with ERA 

(a TSI deliverable expected for 2022); 

-  clarify  by  2023  the  State  aid  rules  on  public  funding  of  interoperable  rolling  stock  for 
cross-border services in the revised Railway Guidelines. The issue of scrapping of existing 
rolling stock will be addressed in this context; 

36   The Green Rail Investment Platform is a vehicle to deploy the EIB’s technical and financial capacity and the 
EU financial instruments to explore viable business models and boost opportunities to finance rail transport. 
For eligible projects with robust loan structure, EIB can finance up to 50% of the project costs, offering loan 
tenors that match the life of the assets at attractive interest rates. Eligible projects with high credit risk profile 
may benefit from an Union guarantee under InvestEU. 

37   Regulation (EU) 2021/523 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 March 2021 establishing the 

InvestEU Programme and amending Regulation (EU) 2015/1017 (OJ L 107, 26.3.2021, p. 30–89). 
38   Council’s conclusion of 3 June 2021 “Putting Rail at the Forefront of Smart and Sustainable Mobility", 

Section V, Networks, investment and connectivity, point 38. 

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-  continue supporting the fitting and retrofitting of rail vehicles with ERTMS; 
-   promote the ratification of the Luxembourg Rail Protocol to the Cape Town Convention 

and support its implementation within the EU. 

The EIB plans to : 
- 

launch the Green Rail Investment Platform, to finance, among other things, rolling stock. 

3.4. Bringing train drivers and railway staff training and certification in line with future needs 

Efficient, safe and secure operation of rail services requires the availability of train drivers and 
other rail staff who can work seamlessly across borders and across operational and language 
barriers. Increased cross-border operations require to develop ways to monitor emerging issues  
such as respect for driving and rest times. Today’s train drivers are certified in respect of each 
locomotive  and  train  they  are  expected  to  operate,  and  for  each  route  they  will  run  upon. 
Harmonisation and recognition of training and certification was an intended goal but was not 
satisfactorily achieved by the current Union framework3940. Moreover, requirements for train 
staff on cross-border rail services to communicate in the language of each Member State that 
they  are  crossing,  add  complexity  and  limit  the  number  of  personnel  that  can  operate  such 
services. 

At  the  same  time,  the  railway  sector  faces  skill  shortages  driven  by  innovation  and 
digitalisation, which the estimated retirement of a large share of the existing workforce within 
the next 10 years might exacerbate. The green transition and the consequent rise of new job 
profiles will further increase the need for new skills and competences. The Railways Sectoral 
Social Dialogue supports making the profession more attractive, including for  young people 
and for women. In the context of this Dialogue, the legally binding agreement on “Women in 
rail”41 was signed in November 2021. During the European Year of Youth, the Commission 
will continue supporting actions to attract young people to professions in the rail sector. 

Apprenticeships  should  play  a  fundamental  role  in  equipping  young  people  with  skills  and 
knowledge that will match sector needs and ensure their employability. The Commission calls 
upon railway undertakings to join the “European Alliance for Apprenticeships”42 and to offer 
an  increased  number  of  apprenticeships.  The  European  Year  of  Youth  2022  is  a  suitable 
platform to support and strengthen such initiatives. The Erasmus+ funded STAFFER43 project 
can support an overall skills  strategy  for the rail sector, develop  concrete actions to  address 

39   Commission  Regulation  (EU)  No  36/2010  of  3  December  2009  on  Community  models  for  train  driving 
licences, complementary certificates, certified copies of complementary certificates and application forms for 
train  driving  licences,  under  Directive  2007/59/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  (OJ  L  13, 
19.1.2010, p. 1–27). 

40   Evaluation of Directive 2007/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on 
the certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains on the railway system in the Community: 
Executive summary, SWD(2020) 138 final: swd20200138-exec-summ-certification-train-drivers_en.pdf 
(europa.eu) 

41   https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=10097&furtherNews=yes 
42 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1147&langId=en 
43   https://www.railstaffer.eu/ 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
short- and medium-term skills needs, and thus constitute a basis to build  a large-scale skills 
partnership under the “Pact for Skills”44. 

Building on the successful implementation of the Union Action Plan for Rail Security45, the 
Commission will continue its engagement with Member States and stakeholders to maintain 
the highest levels of protection for rail users, workers and infrastructure. 

The Commission will: 
-  propose  in  2022  a  revised  regulatory  framework  for  train  drivers,  addressing  the 
shortcomings  of  the  existing  regime  and  limiting  the  recurrent  obligation  to  obtain 
additional  documents  and  certificates.  Such  a  proposal  may  also  include  the  language 
regime for train operations and modifications reflecting the technological developments 
in the sector; 

-   promote policies and programmes to up-skill and re-skill staff and to ensure that future 
skills needs are met, for example through supporting interested stakeholders with a view 
to potentially establishing a large-scale skills partnership in the railway sector under the 
Pact for Skills, building on the rail sectorial skills blueprint STAFFER. 

-  use the 2022 Year of Youth to highlight the attractiveness of the rail sector for young talent. 

3.5. A more efficient use of the networks 

To be able to offer frequent and quick passenger services across the Union, the rail sector needs 
to plan timetables and capacity better taking into account cross-border aspects and the Single 
European  Rail  Area46.  For  railway  undertakings  planning  to  introduce  long-distance  cross-
border  services,  obtaining  attractive  cross-border  train  paths  can  be  complicated,  costly  and 
very inflexible, especially for new entrants. A growing share of sections and nodes of the rail 
network in the Union is already intensely used, imposing limitations on the further expansion 
of rail services and resulting in the need to prioritise between different types of passenger and 
freight  services.  In  this  context,  cross-border  services  often  face  a  disadvantage  vis-à-vis 
domestic services in the competition for scarce capacity. This also affects night trains entering 
major stations during the morning peak traffic. 

A more efficient and adaptable system  is  required for an  optimal  capacity  management that 
takes into consideration all relevant elements, for both passenger and freight traffic. The current 
Union  legislation47  imposes  an  annual  capacity  allocation  procedure,  developed  in  a  period 
where there was more redundant track capacity. This procedure, with a fixed timeline for all 
types of rail services, cannot accommodate both the longer planning horizons for long-distance 
(cross-border) passenger services and the short-term capacity requests, including for rail freight 

44 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1517&langId=en 
45   COM(2018) 470 Annex 
46   For example: the Budapest – Vienna services can benefit up to 17 minutes at the border by implementing 

coordinated digital timetabling. Some of the Amsterdam – London services are idling at intermediate stops 
because timetables are not matching across networks.  

47   Directive 2012/34/EU 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
services. In addition, it makes it difficult for new entrants to secure suitable train paths to satisfy 
market demand.  

An  integrated  Timetabling  and  Capacity  Redesign  programme  (TTR)  effectively  allows  
railway  operators  to  do  priority  planning  for  seamless  cross-border  connections,  before 
completing their planning with national  and regional services. This  game-changer can make 
cross-border passenger services in the Union quicker, more frequent and hence more attractive. 
The Commission will therefore in 2022 assess the need and propose if necessary regulatory 
action  to  incorporate  TTR  and  other  best  practices  into  Union  law.  The  Commission  will 
propose a revision of the Regulation on rail freight corridors48 and use that occasion to ensure 
coherent capacity allocation and traffic management at European level for  both cross-border 
rail freight  and passenger  services.  Options could  include the creation of  an entity  at Union 
level  to  support  more  efficient  management  of  rail  capacity  for  both  passenger  and  freight 
trains,  to  monitor  and  optimise  the  performance  of  trains  running  on  the  Union  network. 
Transport  actors  should  exchange  operational  data  between  modes  to  facilitate  customised 
intermodal solutions to contribute to an optimal use of the entire transport system.  

The Commission will: 
-  assess the need and propose if necessary regulatory action in 2022 to improve capacity 
allocation and traffic management processes, aiming at better coordination of the capacity 
allocation within the overall rail system, covering passenger and freight services;  

-  consider a Union-level entity overseeing the optimisation of cross-border rail traffic and 

coordination mechanisms for its better integration to the national traffic. 

3.6. Appropriate pricing for track access  

Whilst rail receives public funding, this does not translate into a competitive level of charges 
for  using  the  infrastructure  that  would  increase  rail  traffic  and  reduce  ticket  prices.  Fixed 
infrastructure  costs  of  rail  are  high  compared  to  other  transport  modes49  and  Directive 
2012/34/EU allows infrastructure managers to levy mark-ups, beyond direct costs for using the 
infrastructure, where the market can bear them. This provision is widely applied, in particular 
to long-distance and high-speed passenger services.  

At the same time, the external costs caused by rail to society are very low compared to other 
transport  modes50.  However,  this  aspect  is  only  partially  reflected  in  the  actual  costs  and 
taxation of the various modes.  

48  Regulation  (EU)  No  913/2010  of  22  September  2010  concerning  a  European  rail  network  for  competitive 
freight (OJ L 276, 20.10.2010, p. 22–32). The recent evaluation of the Regulation has shown that the rules and 
structures established by the Regulation – while strengthening dialogue and cooperation between stakeholders 
– have not significantly improved the conditions for the operators of cross-border rail freight services.  

49   European Commission, Sustainable transport infrastructure charging and internalisation of transport 

externalities: Executive Summary, May 2019, page 5 

50   For example: the average climate costs for rail are 0.05 €-cent per passenger kilometre, compared to 2.2 €-

cent for air, 0.5 for coach and 1.2 €-cent for car. (European Commission, Handbook on the external costs of 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
High  and  diverse  track  access  charges  across  borders,  notably  in  terms  of  mark-ups,  are  a 
decisive cost factor and can hinder the setting up of new services, and can hinder to attract new 
entrants and private investment.  

Member States can strongly influence the level of mark-ups on track access charges through 
the level of funding provided to infrastructure managers.  If such funding is used efficiently, 
there  is  less  necessity  for  the  infrastructure  managers  to  apply  high  track  access  charges. 
Member  States  can  also  put  in  place  compensation  schemes  for  the  unpaid  environmental, 
accident  and  infrastructure  costs  of  competing  modes51,  in  accordance  with  the  Railway 
Guidelines.  Conversely,  infrastructure  managers  have  an  obligation,  imposed  indirectly  on 
them  by  Directive  2012/34/EU,  to  coordinate  and  guarantee  the  optimal  competitiveness  of 
cross-border rail services. Triggered by the collapse of passenger travel during the COVID-19 
pandemic, a Regulation52 allows Member States to temporarily reduce or waive track access 
charges to support rail.  

Member  States  and  infrastructure  managers  should  use  these  provisions  to  improve  current 
charging practices and,  by that, increase  the overall service offer  and rail's  competitiveness. 
Discussions are taking place within the Platform for Rail Infrastructure Managers in Europe 
(PRIME).  The clear objective should be to ensure that mark-ups are only applied where  the 
market can bear them and where it does not damage rail’s competitiveness.  

The Commission will: 
-   provide guidelines in 2023 for setting track access charges which support and encourage 

the development of long-distance and cross-border passenger services; 

-  actively promote pilot projects to explore whether a reduction of track access charges to 

direct costs levels could better support the set-up of cross-border services; 

 -  consider, in the context of the revision of the Railway Guidelines in 2023,the possibility 
to  exempt  the  public  financing  of  the  reduction  of  track  access  charges  from  the 
notification obligation under State aid rules. 

3.7. User-friendly ticketing and access to the rail system 

For  rail  to  become  an  attractive  travel  choice  for  many  more  passengers,  decisive  action  is 
needed in the area of ticketing, so that cross-border train tickets become easier to find and book, 
and more attractive in price. Although this is acknowledged by the sector53 54, experience of the 
last  two  decades  shows  that  sector-driven  initiatives  are  very  slow  to  mature  due  to  vested 
interests  and  to  unwillingness  to  embrace  benefits  that  market  opening  can  bring.  It  must 

transport, 2019, Table 69, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/9781f65f-8448-11ea-bf12-
01aa75ed71a1) 

51   Article 34 of Directive 2012/34/EU 
52   Regulation (EU) 2020/1429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 October 2020 establishing 
measures for a sustainable rail market in view of the COVID-19 outbreak (OJ L 333, 12.10.2020, p. 1–5). 
53   http://www.cer.be/publications/latest-publications/sector-stakeholder-statement-international-rail-passenger-

services 

54   https://www.cer.be/publications/latest-publications/cer-ticketing-roadmap 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
become as easy and convenient for passengers to compare and buy rail tickets as it is for other 
transport  modes,  in  a  single  transaction  and  using  state-of-the-art  technology55.  Passengers 
needing to connect between trains should be confident that they arrive in time or, failing that, 
that  they  will  be  provided  with  the  necessary  assistance  to  reach  their  destination.  Ticket 
vendors and railway undertakings should be able to offer seats based on a level playing field, 
including well in advance of the actual train journey. Railway companies and ticket vendors 
should be able to offer attractive tickets without undue market barriers when accessing existing 
ticket  vending  channels,  ticket  and  fare  data  as  well  as  data  and  operations  in  reservation 
systems. 

The Commission initiative on multimodal digital mobility services, together with the revision 
of  the  TSI  on  Telematics  Applications  for  Passenger  (TAP  TSI)  and  the  new  obligation  for 
provision of real-time travel and traffic information laid down in the new Rail Passenger Rights 
Regulation56, will ensure the technical availability of data for independent ticket vendors and 
real-time  information  to  passengers.  As  foreseen  by  the  Fourth  Railway  Package,  the 
Commission  will  report  in  2022  on  the  availability  of  common  information  and  through-
ticketing systems. Ahead of these initiatives, the Commission will engage with the rail sector 
and support implementation of commitments presented in the March 2021 Sector Statement57, 
based on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) principles. To make cross-border 
train travel attractive, passenger also need to be protected throughout the journey. The new Rail 
Passenger Rights Regulation adopted in April 2021, introduced for the first time an obligation 
to offer through-tickets from 7 June 2023, but on a rather limited basis5859. 

However, the limited obligation to offer them and the lack of existing market offer of through-
tickets  limits  the  protection  of  passengers,  and  thus  reduces  the  attractiveness  of  rail.  It  is 
essential that passengers combining several trains into one journey are sure that they will not 
be stranded if one of the trains is late, regardless of whether the tickets were sold as a through-
ticket  or  as  separate  contracts.  A  solution  could  be  to  ensure  at  least  that  the  passengers 
travelling on combined separate tickets can continue their journey in case of missed connections 

55   Such as, for example, the digital wallet: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_2663 
56   Regulation (EU) 2021/782 of 29 April 2021 on rail passengers’ rights and obligations (OJ L 172, 17.5.2021, 

p. 1–52). 

57   The Sector Statement has been developed in the framework of the Member State Platform on International 

Passenger Rail, http://www.cer.be/publications/latest-publications/sector-stakeholder-statement-international-
rail-passenger-services  

58   The obligation concerns carriers that qualify as a “sole undertaking”; they shall offer all their long-distance 
(international and domestic) or regional rail services as a through-ticket (Article 12 (1) of Regulation (EU) 
2021/782). Regarding services operated by the same railway undertaking, the transfer of rail passengers from 
one service to another will be facilitated by the introduction of an obligation to provide through-tickets, since 
no commercial agreements between railway  undertakings are needed. The requirement to provide through-
tickets apply also to services operated by railway undertakings belonging to the same owner and wholly-owned 
subsidiaries. For other rail passenger services, railway undertakings shall make all reasonable efforts to offer 
through-tickets  and  shall  cooperate  to  that  end  among  themselves.  Where  passengers  are  not  correctly 
informed, the railway undertaking should be liable as if those tickets were a through-ticket. 

59   The Commission is reviewing the options for multimodal passenger rights in the context of the planned 
review of the passenger rights regulatory framework (Action 63 of the Sustainable and Smart Mobility 
Strategy Action Plan). 

13 

 
 
                                                           
under  certain  conditions.  The  Commission  will  therefore  address  the  issue  of  journey 
continuation in case of delays as part of the initiative on multimodal digital mobility services.  

Affordability is key to ensure that everyone is part of and benefits from the green transition. As 
outlined in the Communication on a long term vision for the EU’s rural areas60, the Commission 
will pay full attention to improved connectivity also for rural and remote areas, notably through 
a dedicated flagship initiative on sustainable multimodal mobility best practices for rural areas.  

It is also essential to ensure that persons with disabilities and those with reduced mobility get 
access  to  long-distance  and  cross-border  passenger  rail  services  on  equal  basis  with  others, 
including  to  ticketing  or  new  digital  developments.  As  a  reference,  the  accessibility 
requirements in the European Accessibility Act61 should be applicable to all rail services. This 
is  supported  by  the  TSI  relating  to  accessibility  of  the  Union's  rail  system  for  persons  with 
disabilities and persons with reduced mobility62 and the new Rail Passenger Rights Regulation 
adopted in April 2021. 

The Commission will: 
-  propose a Regulation, to be adopted by the end of 2022, on multimodal digital mobility 
services  to  enhance  data  exchange  between  mobility  providers  and  facilitate  the 
conclusion of fair  commercial  agreements among railway undertakings  and with  third-
party  ticket  sellers,  including  journey  continuation  and  protection  in  case  of  missed 
connections for passengers travelling on combined separate tickets; 

-  monitor the compliance with the new Rail Passenger Rights Regulation, once it becomes 

applicable in June 2023. 

3.8. A level playing field with other transport modes  

The Commission has already made proposals to  enable competition on equal footing among 
different modes. With the Fit for 55 package63 presented on 14 July 2021, the Commission has 
put forward an ambitious set of proposals to align economic incentives with climate, social and 
environmental objectives, while recognising differences in the global and competition context 
under which different modes of transport operate. This includes proposed changes to emission 
trading and to the energy taxation framework. 

Member States have strong tools in their own hands to ensure that various transport modes can 
compete on equal footing. For example, Member States have considerable scope to influence 
the price of rail through national taxation. In this vein, in 2020, Germany decided to lower VAT 
on long-distance rail tickets from 19% to 7%. The Commission will assess the need for an EU-

60 COM(2021) 345 final 
61   Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility 

requirements for products and services (OJ L 151, 7.6.2019, p. 70–115). 

62   Commission Regulation (EU) No 1300/2014 of 18 November 2014 on the technical specifications for 

interoperability relating to accessibility of the Union's rail system for persons with disabilities and persons 
with reduced mobility (OJ L 356, 12.12.2014, p. 110–178). 

63   https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_3541 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
wide exemption of international rail tickets from VAT to significantly reduce the cost to rail 
passengers.  

A level playing field between modes can also be facilitated by allowing for the emergence of 
innovative offers that combine transport modes. For example an easier combination of air and 
rail tickets helps giving rail a more prominent role to feed to long-haul flights. Some Member 
States  have  a  long  experience  in  facilitating  airlines  to  sell  tickets  on  train  services  and  to 
transport passengers to their hub airports by rail rather than by plane64.  

In the context of the review of the Air Services Regulation65, the Commission is assessing the 
possibilities and the criteria, under which EU countries may limit air traffic on some routes if 
more  sustainable  modes  offering  an  equivalent  level  of  service  exist,  without  undermining 
Single Market principles. Together with the initiative on multimodal digital mobility services66, 
this could help identify  options to boost the emergence of multimodal service offerings that 
combine air and rail services. 

The Commission will: 
-  Work with Parliament and Council to facilitate a swift adoption of the proposals in the 
‘Fit-for-55  package’,  including  on  carbon  pricing  and  emissions  trading  in  transport 
modes; 

-  Assess the need for an EU-wide VAT exemption for international train services; 
-  Support  and  promote  air-rail  multimodal  journeys  on  routes  where  the  suitable 
infrastructure is in place to deliver such services, and assess regulatory options to facilitate 
such multimodal services. 

3.9.  Public  Service  Obligations  to  promote  sustainable  cross-border  and/or  multimodal 

collective transport  

For connections or networks where there is an established public need and where the market is 
not  (yet)  able  or  willing  to  offer  services  which  are  deemed  necessary  for  connectivity  or 
otherwise  desirable  for  society,  competent  authorities  can  impose  public  service  obligations 
(PSO) and award public service contracts (PSC)  to rail operators, typically involving a financial 
compensation. However, PSO should not be used to restrict competition and to prevent open 
access services from being offered. 

The Land PSO Regulation provides for the possibility for competent authorities to cooperate 
and to establish cross-border PSOs. A number of PSOs have already been imposed for cross-

64   Some examples for air-rail tickets already in existence include (cross-border) connections to the airports in 
Paris and Frankfurt and between Amsterdam Schiphol and Brussels Airport.  https://accesrail.com/general-
information/# 

65   https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13255-Revision-of-the-Air-Services-

Regulation_en 

66   https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13133-Multimodal-digital-mobility-

services_en 

15 

 
 
 
 
  
                                                           
border  passenger  rail  services  within  the  EU.  However,  competent  authorities  often  face 
practical and administrative barriers when coordinating their respective processes to implement 
a cross-border PSO. Some cross-border services are "hybrid" services:  cross-border services 
combining one or more legs operated under PSOs with one or more legs operated under an open 
access regime. In the absence of specific Union rules for such hybrid services, particular care 
should be taken by competent authorities to  avoid distortions of competition and the risk of 
cross-subsidies.  

An  alternative  way  for  Member  States  to  support  rail  services  could  be  to  use  the  existing 
possibilities under Article 34 of Directive 2012/34/EU, in accordance with State aid rules, to 
refund track access charges to compensate for unpaid external costs of competing modes. 

Furthermore,  establishing  a  PSO  in  collective  transport  constitutes  an  opportunity  for 
competent  authorities  to  specify  environmental  sustainability  requirements.  This  can  be 
particularly relevant  for  multimodal land transport where zero emission vehicles and rolling 
stock already exist. The current rules already allow for a multimodal PSO system to a certain 
extent, where a passenger uses more than one mode of transport on aits journey and each of 
those modes of transport is operated under a PSO. The PSO regime and internal market rules 
differ depending on the transport mode.  Currently there are three different legal frameworks 
for land, maritime and air transport. It is possible to award separate PSCs for each mode of such 
a  journey.  It  is  also  possible  to  set  up  a  multimodal  PSO  within  the  land  transport  mode 
(rail/bus/other track based transport). In the latter case, such a multimodal land PSO would be 
fully covered by the land PSO Regulation. 

To  facilitate  and  promote  cross-border  services,  the  Commission  will  issue  interpretative 
guidelines on land PSO services to help Member States and competent authorities setting up 
cross-border PSOs that fully comply with Union legislation.  

The Commission will: 
-  publish interpretative guidelines in 2022 for applying the Land PSO Regulation, including  
to long-distance and cross-border rail passenger services and to promote and support the 
development of sustainable multimodal land transport services. 

3.10.  Empowering youth  

The  2021  European  Year  of  Rail  will  be  followed  by  the  2022  Year  of  Youth,  offering  an 
excellent opportunity to support the next generation in choosing a sustainable mode of transport. 
Through  DiscoverEU67,  the  Union  already  provides  free  30-day  travel  rail  passes  to  60,000 
Europeans aged from 18 to 20 years for travel between March 2022 and February 2023. Further 
gains can be made for the approximately one million yearly Erasmus students, who could use 
rail to travel to their exchange destination68. 

67   https://europa.eu/youth/discovereu_en 
68   www.erasmusbytrain.eu 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
The Commission will: 
-  consider amending Erasmus reimbursement rules to promote the use of sustainable modes 

of transport to Erasmus exchange locations. 

4.  Pilot services 

The actions included in this action plan should be implemented as a matter of urgency. Thus, 
already anticipating this action plan, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy calls for "pilot 
services  on  some  routes  involving  all  interested  stakeholders  ….  ".  The  Commission  will 
support rail sector stakeholders and other interested parties when they launch cross-border pilot 
services.  As  many  key  passenger  lines  will  be  on  the  TEN-T  Transport  Corridors,  TEN-T 
Coordinators  will  have  dedicated  responsibilities  to  develop  work  plans  supporting  the 
development  of  cross-border  rail  services  on  these  corridors,  notably  by  proposing  strategic 
investments  and by monitoring the performance  of  rail traffic  via operational  improvements 
such as integrated time-tabling and capacity allocation. 

These pilot services form an opportunity to test and implement measures identified in this action 
plan. They could entail quicker city-to-city connections, making use of new approaches such 
as integrated timetabling, support for rolling stock, or PSOs for cross-border connections. The 
pilots could focus on key routes with a large potential to attract passengers to train services. 
From 2022, the rail sector will be encouraged to submit proposals for pilot services, either for 
enhancing  existing,  or  for  the  establishment  of  new  services.  The  Commission  will  support 
these pilots by facilitating contact between all relevant stakeholders, by providing assistance, 
and  by  ensuring  that  rail  capacity  and  traffic  management  aspects  are  facilitated  through 
technical assistance provided under CEF to RailNetEurope. The Commission will also assist in 
the identification of financing opportunities for particular pilots, as highlighted in this Action 
Plan. Although many of the train services will be viable commercially, the Connecting Europe 
Facility can finance technical assistance, and support studies and preparatory activities relating 
to new technologies and innovation. 

5.  Conclusion 

Especially in view of the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and 
Smart  Mobility  Strategy,  it  is  high  time  to  give  a  boost  to  long-distance  and  cross-border 
passenger rail services.  This  can be done by  removing remaining obstacles and accelerating 
implementation of the single European railway area, increasing investments in a state-of-the-
art  Union  high-speed  railway  network  and  actions  in  areas  such  as  ticketing  and  improved 
railway operations to make cross-border rail the default sustainable travel choice for passengers. 
Implementing the actions set out in this communication will require a common effort of the rail 
industry, passenger and consumer organisations, the Member States and the Commission. The 
Commission envisages putting forward the first of these new actions already in 2022, and will 
promote  close  cooperation  and  coordination  between  relevant  actors  and  actively  monitor 
progress, so that rail will be able to play its key role in the transition towards a climate neutral 
continent. 

17