Rail Forum Europe focuses on climate change

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MEPs gathered on Tuesday to officially launch Rail Forum Europe, the newly founded parliamentary forum dedicated to rail transport.

For its very first dinner-debate, Rail Forum Europe took a successful first-step into forging a dialogue between MEPs and the rail sector’s relevant stakeholders.

From the industry side, Alstom was invited to present what the rail sector has already achieved in terms of GHG emissions reduction and presented future solutions to make rail transport even cleaner.

Brian Simpson, Chairman of the Transport Committee and Rail Forum Europe President said:

“Railways are one of most environmentally friendly forms of transport and have a critical role to play if we are to deliver a safe, sustainable and effective public transport network.”

“I believe railways have the potential to be at the cutting-edge of transport technology and to be a leading element in our efforts to control climate change.”

Keir Fitch, Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Kallas, advocated in his keynote address that, “there will be no decarbonisation of transport without a modal shift to rail transport.”

On the issue of a potential shift of EU regional funds from rail to road transport, he firmly stated that the response of the Commission ‘must be no.’

Tony Berkeley, Chairman of Rail Freight Group, said:

“If the EU wants to achieve the modal shift targets set out in the White Paper, investment in rail infrastructure is a matter of priority.”

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