WARSAW, Poland, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Thirty years ago, people travelled by rail because they had to. Today, they travel by rail because they want to. In order for people to consider rail their first choice for travel, it must be more accessible and appealing," said Alan Beroud, PKP S.A.'s President of the Board, at "The Competitiveness of Rail Transport - a Challenge and a Necessity" conference held on 28 April 2025 in Wroclaw as part of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council.
Featuring Ministry of Infrastructure (the event's organiser) officials, rail companies, and EU industry organisations, the conference discussed rail market liberalisation, advances in high-speed rail, investments in the rail infrastructure, and the development of transnational rail connections across Europe.
Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak noted the need to lift legal and administrative barriers.
"Deregulation plays a key role not only for rail traffic capacity in the EU, but also for every aspect of the economy, and rail is an important part of the economy of every European country," Klimczak argued.
PKP S.A.'s President expressed a view that rail is losing its competitive edge due to the rising energy prices.
"Electricity accounts for a whopping 30 percent of rail costs. With energy prices currently at record highs, we are unable to compete with other modes of transport. We need the European Commission to recognise this as an issue that needs to be addressed. We hope that our voice will be heard, and that we will have influence on how this matter is handled by the European Union," said Alan Beroud.
He added that a long-term approach should be taken to designing the railway system.
"We need to think thirty to fifty years ahead to lay down a framework that is in alignment with other modes of transport, both passenger and freight. We must look beyond a five-year horizon, otherwise it simply will not work," argued Beroud.
During the "High-Speed Rail in Europe - Challenges and Prospects" panel discussion, PKP S.A.'s President highlighted that high-speed rail provides the opportunity for improving travel links between European countries due to its ability to transport large numbers of passengers expeditiously.
Source: PKP S.A.
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ed30fd5e-fc85-48f7-a36b-2d6e0f5b6cf4
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