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16 Sep 2021 | Bratislava

Juraj Droba welcomes the Connecting Europe Express train in Bratislava

16 Sep 2021 | Bratislava

Juraj Droba welcomes the Connecting Europe Express train in Bratislava

2021 is the year of the railways in Europe. This was announced by the European Commission to support and further promote passenger and freight rail transport in Europe. On this occasion, on 2 September 2021, a special Connecting Europe Express train departed from the Lisbon railway station. After eight days the train arrived in Bratislava at the Main Station. Welcoming the Connecting Europe Express in Bratislava, Juraj Droba, President of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region and ECR CoR Group Vice-President, commented: "Rail is not just one of the safest transport modes, but the most sustainable as well. I am pleased to be able to symbolically welcome the European Express, an initiative that is part of the European Year of Rail, and draw attention to the importance of rail for our green and sustainable future."

Participating at the ceremony organised to welcome to train in Bratislava, Juraj Droba declared that Bratislava region, the Ministry of Transport, together with the cities and municipalities from the region are currently preparing strategies to promote rail transport, but their implementation depends on having enough financial resources: "EU funds are a vital resource if we want to make the transport entry hub into Slovakia, which is currently under enormous pressure, truly the best region to live in, with good quality, sustainable and green transport.EU funds are particularly essential to boost the capacity of the busiest and most crucial sections of rail and to build the transfer terminals for integrated transport."

The Connecting Europe Express is a key initiative of the European Year of Rail 2021 and aims to draw attention to the many benefits of rail in both the passenger and freight sectors. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has been actively involved in this initiative, organising several local events together with its members. In October 2020, the CoR adopted its opinion on the European Year of Rail 2021, prepared by rapporteur Jarosław Piotr Stawiarski, Marshal of the Polish Region of Lubelskie and ECR CoR Group member, which calls for a leading role for rail in national and regional transport plans, recalling the low external costs of rail and pointing to the need for a long-term financing mechanism for sustainable transport at EU level.