The latest amendments from the S&D group for Art 7 a on financial flows are designed to perpetuate the monopolies of the large incumbents, and will, if approved, kill any further private investment in the railways.
We, from 20 private passenger and freight operators and associations from across Europe, ask MEPs to consider, just three months before the European Parliamentary elections, whether they really want to be remembered for supporting these amendments, which would allow unfair and hidden subsidies to pass between infrastructure managers, holding companies and their train operators. They will cause not only severe ongoing problems for the privately financed passenger and freight operators seeking to compete fairly with them. They will, if carried, also very likely dissuade any further private investors to take the massive and unquantified risk of investing in the rail sector against the unknown monopoly power of the incumbents.
Surely MEPs would rather be remembered in this parliament for achieving for the first time at least the outline of a single market in rail which is the only way of achieving growth and improved service quality – and by attracting private sector investment, it will save a lot of taxpayer money?
So MEPs have the future of the European railways in their hands when they vote later this month.