Railways Archives
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Spain’s high-speed rail link breaches EU bird law
The European Court of Justice has ruled that Spain breached European directives on birds and habitats conservation in building a high-speed train link between Seville and Almería. EURACTIV Spain reports.
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EU ‘ready to explore’ free InterRail tickets for European teenagers
The European Commission is considering handing out free InterRail tickets to all young Europeans when they turn 18, following up on a proposal made by Members of the European Parliament to counter the wave of euroscepticism spreading across the continent.
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EU’s decarbonisation plans scrutinised by divided transport industry
EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc has to make good on a few promises she made before the summer break.
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Pressure mounts on truck makers, as Commission announces emissions regulation
The European Commission promised sweeping changes to its regulation of car and truck pollution in an effort to slash carbon emission levels by 2030.
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Swiss declare Alps tamed as Gotthard rail tunnel opens
Switzerland opens the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps today (1 June) in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation.
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Auditors slam Commission for inefficient railway funding
A new report from the European Court of Auditors says €28 billion in EU funds didn't do enough to boost the share of freight shipped on railways—instead, that figure dropped despite beefed up investments.
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Divisive rail rules held up by UK, Germany, France and Greece
EU member states are still squabbling over draft rules that will open up railway markets to competition, even after negotiators struck a deal last week on the long debated file.
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EU authorities to discuss ‘Moscow model’ to protect airports
National experts will consider lessons learnt from terrorist attacks in Moscow and in Madrid in a meeting on 11 April to improve security at the airports and mass public transportation systems in the aftermath of the Brussels attacks, EU officials told Euractiv.com.
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Commission slams member states for watering down rail rules
The new head of the European Commission's transport section (DG MOVE) had harsh words yesterday (15 March) for new rules to open up Europe's “static” rail sector, which he said have been butchered in negotiations with the European Parliament and Council.
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Refugee crisis puts truckers’ lives at risk, says road transport lobby
An international road transport organisation has warned that it is 'only a matter of time' until refugees in Calais seriously injure or kill truck drivers.
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‘Largest investment ever’ to support Brenner rail tunnel
Within ten years, the Brenner Base project, the longest railway tunnel in the world, is expected to be completed and operational. The EU has announced that it will contribute €1.2 billion to its construction. EURACTIV Germany reports.
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EU ministers agree on injecting competition into domestic rail service
European railway companies will be allowed to offer domestic rail services in other countries from 2020 under new proposals agreed on Thursday(8 October) by European Union ministers.
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Belgium plans collection of plane, train and ferry users’ data
Belgium on Monday (31 August) unveiled plans for a controversial system to collect data on all airline passengers, as well as international train and ferry travellers, in the wake of a foiled attack on a train running between Belgium and Paris.
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EU to review rail security after foiled Thalys attack
The European Union will review railway security on high-speed international lines after last week's foiled attack in France. But officials warned on Monday (24 August) against overreaction.
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EU launches fraud probe into Lyon-Turin rail link
The controversial high-speed train line between Lyon and Turin is to be examined by the European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF, amid huge cost overruns and allegations of mafia links in Italy. The EU has already contributed €450 million to the project, but France and Italy will claim a further €4 billion of EU funding. EURACTIV France reports.
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Safety official sees no link between EU rail liberalisation, fatal accidents
Several devastating railway accidents, including one in Spain this week that is Europe’s deadliest since 1998, show little sign of being related to the EU’s fast-track effort to liberalise railways and separate infrastructure from passenger and cargo services, a safety official said.
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EU plan for quieter railways still not on track
Putting people and cargo onto the rails may be one way to reduce roadway air pollution, a key goal of the EU’s rail transport policy, but doing so creates another hazard for those living close to railways – noise.
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Kallas defends plan to pry open domestic rail markets
Europe’s railways need more competition and less bureaucracy if they are to reverse the decline in use, Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said Tuesday (19 February) as he sought to warm up MEPs to a new liberalisation plan.
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Kallas rolls back EU bid to break up state rail monopolies
In a compromise aimed at countries like France and Germany, the European Commission on Wednesday (30 January) unveiled its latest plan to integrate rail services, allowing traditional state companies to maintain their hold on railway infrastructure as well as passenger and cargo services.
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‘Flop train’: EU’s high-speed rail ambitions hit a setback
The EU’s top transport official says the troubled launch of a now-suspended high-speed rail service between Brussels and Amsterdam - christened the ‘flop train’ by angry passengers - is “not our problem” despite years of efforts to encourage such premium transnational rail service.
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France, Italy vow to press on with high-speed Alpine rail link
The leaders of France and Italy pledged on Monday (3 December) to push ahead with a high-speed rail link between Lyon and Turin despite a row over EU spending.
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France under fire over rail merger proposal
France’s plan to merge its railway and infrastructure operations has drawn criticism and a call for the European Commission to block the move.
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Cable theft surge prompts railways to seek EU action
European railway operators are pressing for an EU-wide response to the rising number of cable thefts, with desperate rail companies deploying helicopter patrols and sprinkling infrastructure with artificial DNA to deter crime.
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Britain halts rail franchise deal
The British government has torn up a deal awarding one of its biggest rail franchises to a private operator, in a humiliating U-turn that raises doubts about the government's handling of the privatised railways.