How does the community wish to revitalise its railways?

In recent years the European Community (EC) has increased its rail transport activities. Current European policy is aimed at revitalising the railway sector, the intermodal market shares of which have strongly declined within the last decades, especially in the area of freight services. Adopted legislation and Commission proposals aim at raising the intermodal market shares of European railways. This goal is to be achieved by resorting to two different instruments. Some actions are directed toward a strengthening of market forces in the Single Market. The opening of rail transport markets, the obligation to separate accounts for infrastructure and transport services as well as further regulations providing for a non-discriminating access to rail tracks could lead to competition between service undertakings that might increase the attractiveness of European railways. In order to revitalise the sector, however, supplementary public actions are considered necessary.