European rail bosses want a “smart” optimisation of  competitiveness with road traffic



(Vienna, 10th July 2022) Around 30 European railway bosses accepted the invitation of Andreas Matthä, ÖBB CEO and President of the European Railway Association CER to the CEO Summit in Vienna, to exchange views on current industry topics. The digitisation of the rail sector and the war in Ukraine were the main focusses of the 2022 Summit. In a joint statement, which was presented in advance on Friday, the approx. 30 rail CEOs pledged solidarity and support for Ukraine - especially for Ukrainian Railways. Andreas Matthä sums up: "Our CEO summit was intense, productive and enriching. In addition to the international exchange, it was particularly important to me as the host that we agree on common positions and plans for the future. This was successful: With not one but two declarations, European rail bosses are sending strong and common signals to EU decision makers."

Declaration on digitalisation focuses on a smart rail sector

The European rail CEOs agree that digitisation is the key factor for the future success of the rail system. For this reason an exchange took place on the individual expectations, different priorities and strategies of the European railways regarding digitisation. The results of these discussions were incorporated into the final joint declaration on the digitisation of the rail sector. This states that digitalisation will help the European rail system to develop further and thus make it more competitive and resilient. This would make a significant contribution to achieving the aims of the Green Deal. Therefore, the declaration contains measures for a common future of the European railway in five areas. Under the title "smart technical operations", the European railways want to cooperate at a technical level in order to jointly optimise rail capacities and thus their competitiveness compared with road transport. One joint project resulting from this is, for example, the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC).
In addition to "smart technology," the rail bosses are also focusing on "smart infrastructure." Rail infrastructure is to be designed in such a way that cross-border rail traffic through Europe is simplified and there is more rail capacity for both passenger and freight traffic. Passenger and freight transport itself should also become "smart" - and be harmonised through cooperation, even across national borders. Under the slogan "Smart Ticketing," the European railways are committed to the joint CER Ticketing Roadmap, which, among other things, is intended to make it easier for passengers to book international train tickets. Of course the changes surrounding the digitisation of the rail sector also affect employees. For this reason, the rail bosses are focusing on "smart human resources" in order to get employees on board with the path to the digital future at an early stage. In addition to this, the social partners are actively invited to cooperate. Finally, the CEOs point out that all these measures to digitise the rail sector will require support and commitment from the European Union in order to achieve the goals of the Green Deal.

Attachment: Vienna Declaration on Digitalisation in the Railway Sector - Adopted at the CEO Summit in Vienna on July 9th, 2022