The European Commission’s ambitions for the railway sector
The Sustainable and Intelligent Mobility Strategy, launched on 9 December 2020 by the European Commission, sets out clear ambitions the rail sector.
By 2030:
- double high-speed rail traffic across Europe
- achieve carbon neutrality for collective travel of less than 500 km
By 2050:
- doubler rail freight traffic
- build a fully operational, multimodal Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) for sustainable and intelligent transport with high-speed connectivity.
Au-delà du ferroviaire, cette stratégie globale définit 82 initiatives visant notamment :
- The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in transport by at least 55% in 2030 and 90% by 2050. Europe aims to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 through flagship initiatives that cover all modes of transport: l'adoption de véhicules à zéro émission, un prix fixe pour le carbone, l'amélioration des incitations pour les usagers...
- Smarter, more multimodal mobility thanks to technological innovation and digitalisation. Parmi les leviers : faire de la mobilité multimodale connectée et automatisée une réalité, encourager l'innovation, l'utilisation des données et de l'intelligence artificielle.
- Strengthening the resilience of the transport sector, which has been hit hard by the pandemic, by completing an efficient European transport network by 2030 (TEN-T), providing safe, fair and equitable mobility for all.
These ambitions are opportunities for SNCF Réseau, and its Europe Division, to collaborate with the European Union and all those who make and will make the Europe of rail. Many projects supported by Europe illustrate SNCF Réseau’s involvement in this approach.
The European Green Deal: turning an urgent challenge into a unique opportunity
The European Green Deal is a new growth strategy that aims to transform the European Union into a fair and prosperous society with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, characterised by zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and in which economic growth is disassociated from resource use. Among other ambitions, the deal states that multimodal transport needs a strong boost. Efforts in this direction will lead to a more efficient transport system. One of the priorities is to shift a substantial part of the 75% of inland freight currently carried by road to rail and inland waterways. The Green Deal will systematically use all policy levers: regulation and standardisation, investment and innovation, national reforms, dialogue with social partners and international cooperation. The European core of social rights will guide action to ensure that no one is left behind.
(video) SNCF Réseau & Europe - The Green Deal:
Further reading:
The European Commission's Sustainable and Intelligent Mobility Strategy
The 4th railway package