Transport ministers will meet informally to discuss energy prices and railways development

Transport ministers will meet informally to discuss energy prices and railways development
21/10/2022Press releases

Development of railway transport, the future shape of the TEN-T network and energy prices. These will be the main topics of an informal meeting of the Council of Ministers for Transport this Friday in Prague. On the day before the PIN Talk, a professional conference on improving the safety of young drivers, will take place.

Transport ministers will meet informally to discuss energy prices and railways development
In the morning the ministers will discuss the development of high-speed rail lines, especially in the Central European region. They will also discuss the direction of further investments from European Union funds. They shall also address the inclusion of some new links in the TEN-T pan-European backbone transport network and better rail connectivity.

Railway transport currently plays a key role in the European Union, as confirmed by the Russian aggression against Ukraine, where railways were used to transport goods and people fleeing the war. The rail is also an environmentally friendly and sustainable mode of transport.

The draft revision of the TEN-T network then envisages the elimination of those backbone links located on the territory of Russia and Belarus and, on the contrary, the inclusion of transport corridors in Ukraine and Moldova, including the possibilities of switching to standard gauge.

Another topic of the informal meeting of the Council of Ministers for Transport will be the current energy prices, which will be discussed by the heads of the ministries at an informal lunch. Rail transport has been hit particularly hard by the price rise and expensive energy has also become one of the key issues of the Czech Presidency. The ministers will discuss what individual carriers and infrastructure managers can do to reduce energy intensity and how to keep the current scale of transport. 
 

The EU's Informal Meeting of Transport Ministers #TTE will take place in Prague on Friday. The development of high-speed rail, the TEN-T network revision, the resolution of the energy issue in rail industry, and other topics will be covered by the ministers. pic.twitter.com/kbqArKwSkH

— Ministerstvo dopravy (@min_dopravy) October 17, 2022
The afternoon session will focus on ways how to improve the quality and reliability of rail transport. The ministers will also talk about the ways to remove technical bottlenecks, poor coordination or continuity of services. They will also discuss fares, payment of compensation for delays, better information flows towards passengers regarding accidents and other incidents, or how to make it easier to buy international tickets. They will talk about the possibilities how to improve timetabling and promote long-distance and cross-border transport.

On Thursday the Czech Presidency will host the PIN Talk, an expert conference on improving the safety of young drivers. Besides minister Kupka, it will be attended by the representatives of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, the European Transport Safety Council, BESIP and other institutions.

The conference aims at the exchange of information on measures that have had a positive effect in every country. The possibility to drive under the supervision of a mentor from the age of 17, the driving licence on probation and changes in driving school education will be among the main topics. There will also be a debate on the preparation of a new European directive on driving licences.

Programme

08:30-09:25  Doorstep

09:30-11:30  Morning Session - Further development of high-speed lines and international connectivity

12:00-13:30  Working Lunch of Heads of Delegations - The impact of the current energy crisis on rail transport

13:30-15:30  Afternoon Session - Challenges for European rail

15:30-16:00  Final Outcome

16:00-16:30  Press Conference
 
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