Joint letter from the European rail sector on concrete measures to face the COVID‐19 pandemic and its economic consequences

Joint Letter from the European Rail Sector

We, the representatives of European railways, combined transport and wagon load operators, wagon keepers, workshops and mobile services associations, on behalf of our members and of the European rail and intermodal sectors would like to thank all public authorities at all levels – European,  national  and  local – for  their  efforts  to  ensure  a  coordinated  and  quick  European  response to the health and economic crises triggered by the COVID‐19 pandemic.

We, UIP, together with CER, ERFA, UIRR & All Rail, underline the following measures:

• Recognise railway as a strategic asset in keeping freight moving
• Use the new State aid Temporary Framework correctly and widely to ensure the fair and adequate support for all railway actors
• Guarantee short‐term liquidity, in particular to keep these businesses alive and secure jobs
• Exempt rail staff as strategic workforce from national rules such as travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine
• Keep rail service, including maintenance activities, up and running