Rail is a viable, sustainable and reliable alternative to aviation. During the worldwide rampage of the COVID-19 pandemic, rail has proven that economies can rely on its resilience even in crisis situations. "At a time when air transport has been put on hold, when cross-border road traffic has been restricted, when ships have been denied the possibility of calling in at ports, rail has continued to operate allowing European economies to breathe," said ECR Group member Jarosław Stawiarski, president of the Lubelskie region in Poland and rapporteur for the opinion on the European Year of Rail (2021), during the COTER commission meeting on 10 July.

​The COTER commission adopted the opinion by a vast majority. The opinion comprises the CoR's input into the EU-wide campaign to promote rail as a key component of future mobility. The European Commission proposed making 2021 the European Year of Rail. Throughout the year, a series of events, campaigns and other initiatives will be held to raise public awareness about the benefits of rail. The opinion will serve as the foundation of the CoR's involvement in the campaign and Mr Stawiarski as its rapporteur will act as the face of the CoR.

The draft opinion calls on the EU institution​s and national authorities to take urgent action to create a level playing field among the various modes of transport. This includes the full internalisation of the external costs of road transport and the taxation of aviation fuel in international traffic. Furthermore, the opinion draws attention to other key aspects of the development of rail, such as ensuring adequate financing for infrastructure, developing new transport corridors, restoring rail links and night trains, and developing high-speed rail or making rail more accessible to people with reduced mobility. In addition, the opinion highlights the differences in rail infrastructure in Central-East and Western Europe. To overcome these differences, the opinion calls on the European Commission to develop an integrated rail strategy covering the whole of the European Union.

While preparing the opinion, on 8 June Mr Stawiarski met with the EP rapporteur for the file, Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg MEP. Both rapporteurs agreed that substantial investments are needed in freight transport, high-speed trains and night trains and digitalising and electrifying European rail infrastructure, while new transport corridor such as the Amber Corridor need to be developed and rail needs to be promoted as a cost and energy effective substitute for road and air transport.

The opinion is scheduled for final adoption at the CoR plenary session on 12 to 14 October.