UIC Director General François Davenne opened the session entitled “Transforming the railways in the Danube region: what can be done to make the railways attractive and safe during and after the coronavirus era?” at the Danube Region Transport Day organised by EUSDR (EU Strategy for the Danube Region, coordinated by the European Commission) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The session was held on 17 December and was dedicated to transport financing and rail and bicycle development in the Danube macro-region.

Mr Davenne stressed the need for a unified rail network rather than a patchwork. While rail freight suffered relatively little during the pandemic, the impact on urban transport is more significant because the crisis has changed travellers’ habits. How can we achieve a unified network and increase the modal share of rail? By interacting better with other modes: public and urban transport, bicycles, “soft” modes.

While UIC’s Vision for Rail in 2030 provides some of the answers, it is most important that we revolutionise the customer experience by being more inclusive, safer and more comfortable, with highly desirable trains. In addition, positioning rail as the backbone of mobility not only requires improving interfaces with other modes but also being at the heart of and coordinating these interfaces. The EU Green Deal framework will help to achieve this.