Eu Green Light For Rail-Freight Freeways Plan

European businesses should be able to send their goods on north-south and east-west rail freeways" next year if plans pushed by the European Commission come to fruition.

European Union transport ministers were reported to be generally in favour of the idea, presented on Thursday by European Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock, to create express rail-freight routes linking Sweden to Italy and the Dutch sea ports to Eastern Europe.

Kinnock's spokeswoman said that 11 of the EU's 15 countries supported the plan at a meetiing of ministers which agreed to the immediate creation of a working group to thrash out the precise route details and prices. The group, to meet over the coming weeks and to include freight forwarders and rail industry executives, will aim to present ministers with a more concrete plan come their next meeting in December.

 

The EU's freight market has been increasingly dominated by the road haulage sector, which in 1994 had a share of more than 70 per cent of the goods carried within bloc's single market. Rail secured only15 per cent .

The Commission has identified the complexity of booking and pricing systems and the inflexibiliy of rules for cross-border freight carriage as among the factors hampering rail's attraction. It hopes dedicated lines with a single-point system for information on pricing and schedules would help win some cargo back from road hauliers.