Presidency committed to debate on the rail sector

The Portuguese Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Pedro Nuno Santos, reinforced the commitment of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union to make room for “broad debate on the rail sector in Europe”, focusing on “environmental performance and its actual ability to provide services that are socially and economically relevant”.

Pedro Nuno Santos, who took part in the launch of the Rail Safety Climate Survey, by the European Union Agency for Railways, believes that this is “an important contribution to learning more about the effective operation of the railway system and compliance with the goals set”.

,

“The first conclusion is that there is controversy, and that's a good thing because it leads to new ideas and new solutions”, said Pedro Nuno Santos, adding that Europe must not “be closed to good ideas that come from outside nor to different experiences inside the EU”.

“This survey that we have launched is an important contribution to learning more about how our railway system is working and if it is meeting its goals”, pointing out that “railways are the workplace of hundreds of thousands of workers all across Europe. The human factor is, and always will be, essential to rail transport”. It will therefore continue “to be essential to assure that the safety reputation of railways continues to be based on a very strict safety culture”.