Transport recovery : which role for railways?

Abstract

The European Union’s stimulus package and the Recovery and Resilience Facility are seen as key tools in aiding the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As the transport sector suffered a particularly hard hit, it subsequently needs comparatively more support than other sectors. Such support constitutes a unique opportunity to accelerate its much-needed transition to decarbonisation, a process that will rely on increasing the transport sector’s level of digitalisation. Among all modes of transport, it appears to be best positioned to deliver on the EU’s decarbonization objectives, especially because it can facilitate the modal shift from road and short-haul air transport. The objective of this panel is to discuss how the stimulus package can accelerate the decarbonisation of transport with railways playing a central role in the process.