New rules to increase train travel in Europe - MP: "Not enough"

Negotiations have been going on for several years, but it was not until October that the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers managed to reach a preliminary agreement on the new regulatory framework.

The proposal has now been voted through in Parliament's Committee on Transport and is only awaiting official approval from Parliament.

- I think it is a decent proposal.

It harmonises the member states' current rules so that everyone has the same basic conditions, says parliamentarian Jörgen Warborn (M).

The new rules mean, among other things, that train companies will be obliged to replace tickets for canceled or delayed departures of at least 100 minutes.

In addition, it will be easier to book connected trips and take the bike on the train.

The Green Party's Jakop Dalunde sits on the transport committee but is not satisfied with the proposal that is now on the table.

- It is definitely not enough.

There will be minor improvements in the compensation levels, but at the same time it will be easier for the train companies to deny passengers compensation if the delay is due to weather conditions, for example, he says. 

MP: Is there a reluctance among the train companies

In an earlier version of the proposal, there has been a requirement for train companies to open up their travel data to make it easier for services that offer travelers to book connected journeys and compare prices.

But the parliament has been forced to back down on that point, according to Dalunde.

- It is introduced on paper, but for the next nine years there is an exemption which gives Member States the right to assess for themselves whether it is technically feasible or not.

And the requirement also only applies to individual train companies and their subsidiaries, he says.

Why have you had to back down?

- We see that there is a reluctance among train companies to compare themselves with others.

They do not realize that it would be a huge business opportunity.

It is a way to compete for travelers by air.

"Not defensible"

Jakop Dalunde does not believe that the new rules will lead to an increase in train travel in Europe.

- Instead of taking the chance to make it easier to travel by train in Europe, we risk deterioration at certain points.

I do not think this is defensible in the midst of an ongoing climate crisis, he says.

SJ writes in an email to SVT Nyheter that they do not want to comment on the content of the proposal before the final decision has been made.