2021 is the European Year of Railways
The European Year of Railways began on the 1st of January, 2021. A series of activities launched by the European Commission in 2021 will bring rail to the forefront to encourage citizens and businesses to use rail transport, thus contributing to the European Green Plan goal of making the EU climate-neutral by 2050.
The European Commission’s (EC) initiative highlights the benefits of rail as a sustainable, smart and safe means of transport. On that occasion, the EC Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean stated
Our future mobility must be sustainable, safe, comfortable and affordable. The railway offers all this and much more! The European Year of Railways gives us the opportunity to rediscover this mode of transport. Through various activities, we will use this opportunity to help the railway reach its full potential. I invite you all to be part of the European Year of Railways.
The initiative, proposed by the EC in March 2020 and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in December 2020, is part of the EU’s efforts under the European Green Plan to make the economy sustainable by achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
One of the key elements of the Plan is the introduction of cleaner and healthier means of transport, given that the transport sector is currently responsible for around 25% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. The European Green Plan calls for a 90% reduction in traffic emissions by 2050.
To achieve this goal and ensure that transport continues to play a role during the transition to a clean, digital and innovative EU economy, the EC adopted a Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy in December 2020. It paves the way for more sustainable, smarter and resilient mobility, and includes milestones towards doubling rail freight by 2050 and tripling high-speed rail connections by 2050. During 2021, the EC will present an action plan to strengthen rail passenger transport, which in accordance with the Strategy provides for measures to improve capacity and simplify the system of ticket sales for various modes of transport to further increase the attractiveness of rail.
Source: hzpp.hr
