Make rail more attractive, convenient and accessible to passengers
Early March 2020, the European Commission published a proposal to make 2021 the European Year of Rail, as part of the European Green Deal. This European year aims at stepping up the pace of rail modernisation, to make rail a more popular alternative to less sustainable transport modes.
Building on its long-lasting partnership with the European Disability Forum (EDF), the European Passengers’ Forum (EPF) and the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), AGE joined these organisations in a common call to Commissioner Vălean underlining how crucial it is to put passengers at the centre of this initiative:
“We hope the European Union and Member States will take this opportunity to further mainstream the accessibility of train transport and advance passenger rights. We also emphasise the need to ensure that the planning activities for the European Year of Rail proactively involve organisations representing passengers and that all campaigns, programmes, projects, and initiatives within the European Year of Rail are accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities, at Union and Member State-level, and in cooperative actions with third countries.”
AGE is very much involved in the activities of the European Railway Agency and the European Commission in relation to accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility thanks to the key involvement of its two experts Peter Rayner and Frans Moltzer.
