The Commission proposed to make 2021 the European Year of Rail to support the delivery of its European Green Deal objectives in the transport field. A series of events, campaigns and initiatives in 2021 will promote rail as a sustainable, innovative and safe mode of transport. This proposal shall also help to step up the pace of rail modernisation, which is needed to make rail a more popular alternative to other transport modes.

New rules for rail passenegers, voted by the EP in April, will better protect and assist train travellers, by guaranteeing rerouting and helping passengers when their train is delayed or cancelled. The new law will also improve access and assistance to people with reduced mobility, and will help the introduction of more dedicated spaces for bicycles on trains.

2021 European Year of Rail - Illustration of commuters at the railway station of Karlsruhe