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photo: Ondřej Krutílek/Ondřej Krutílek, Member of the European Parliament for the ODS
In an exclusive interview, MEP Ondřej Krutílek outlines his views on rail investment, market liberalisation and Europe’s competitiveness. He argues that the EU must prioritise results over spending while strengthening its position against global rivals.
Ondřej Krutílek, Member of the European Parliament for ODS, has long focused on transport, industry and energy within European policy. With more than twenty years of experience with EU institutions and a detailed understanding of European processes, he brings a practical, euro-realist perspective to the debate on rail in Central and Eastern Europe.
In the interview with RAILTARGET, he describes the financing of railway infrastructure in Europe in connection with planned high-speed rail and the TEN-T network. He also discusses the EU’s focus on military mobility and ficuses on night trains as an ecological alternative to short-haul flights across Europe.
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How should the European Union set up financing for railway infrastructure to support development across all regions, including Central Europe?
In my view, the EU should act on two fronts at the same time. On the one hand, it should support large cross-border projects, where the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) makes particular sense, but at the same time it must not forget the regions, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. For us, it is key to emphasise our strategic position on the map with the aim of connecting across Member States. It is also important to activate private investment through instruments such as InvestEU. Above all, more attention should be paid to results — not only how much is spent, but what it actually delivers.
How do you assess the liberalisation of passenger rail in the Czech Republic compared to other EU countries? Has it really brought more competition and better services?
In the Czech Republic, I think it has worked. Competition on the main routes has clearly improved the quality of services. Better trains, better prices and greater choice. Once you travel outside the core network, competition seems to disappear at first glance. However, I believe liberalisation has helped there as well. If regional operations are tendered, it creates natural pressure.
Improving military mobility is a major EU priority. What progress has been made and what are the main obstacles?
It is clear that the EU has started to take this seriously, mainly due to the geopolitical situation. Many projects are now being planned to make sense also for military use — so-called dual-use. The problem is that reality still slows things down: different systems between countries, bureaucratic burden and, in some places, insufficient infrastructure. So the direction is right, but achieving the strategic vision must be accelerated. We are also trying to get help from the European Parliament. In the transport committee we recently discussed a special report on this issue, and support for military mobility is also reflected in funding under the CEF instrument.
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How do you see the current shift in priorities for high-speed rail and its impact on the EU rail network?
High-speed rail is a major topic right now and it makes sense for mobility and competitiveness. High-speed rail projects must remain a national priority from the perspective of long-term investment, with maximum integration into European corridors and funding. At the same time, however, we must not neglect conventional rail. If the rest of the network falls behind, it ultimately does not make much sense.
Can the EU ensure that European companies remain competitive against Chinese manufacturers?
In my view, Europe cannot win on price, but it can win on quality and technology. The key is therefore to invest in innovation, push European standards such as ERTMS, and be active in public procurement. We must play to our strengths, and I firmly believe that supporting innovation will strengthen Europe’s potential. In this industrial sector as well, our companies need smarter European policies and regulations as a basic condition for success, including lower bureaucratic burden and reasonable energy and input costs.
You contributed to the 2017 Strong Czech Republic in Europe of the 21st Century manifesto, which emphasised projects like TEN-T. Has the EU moved in the right direction?
There has definitely been progress. More focus is placed on cross-border connections and removing bottlenecks. But honestly, project implementation still takes a long time, mainly due to permitting processes. So the direction is right, but execution is still lagging behind.
Night trains are often discussed as an alternative to short-haul flights. Should the EU support them more?
For me, this is a clear yes. Night trains make sense as an alternative to shorter flights. They are more convenient for many people and ultimately more environmentally friendly. But for them to work, cross-border route planning must be simplified, which is still somewhat problematic.
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