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The top representatives of European railways met in Prague. The main topic was a passenger transport

The top representatives of European railways met in Prague. The main topic was a passenger transport
photo: ČD / LinkedIn/The top representatives of European railways met in Prague. The main topic was a passenger transport
17 / 10 / 2022

Prague was transformed into a major rail transport center for a few days. A High-Level Passenger Meeting took place here. It was attended by the CEOs of European rail carriers. The topic was ticketing and customer handling when traveling across Europe, or assistance to Ukraine. High energy prices and the competitiveness of rail passenger transport, especially concerning individual car transport or air passenger transport, were also raised.

Michal Krapinec, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of České dráhy, summarised the last three challenging years of railway transport in this respect. "In the last three years, rail passenger carriers across Europe have faced challenges that have not been present for decades. These include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the extreme increase in energy prices and other costs due to unusually high inflation," he stressed, adding that at the same time, ambitious projects to open up the rail market are continuing. He mentioned, in particular, the construction of the European high-speed network, the renaissance of night transport, and the simplification of check-in when traveling across Europe. "I see this meeting of CEOs under the auspices of the UIC and CER and the exchange of experiences as a crucial event for the promotion of rail in the European transport market. Holding the event in Prague is an appreciation of our work in the UIC, CER, and in the framework of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the development of services in interstate rail transport," Krapinec highlighted the benefits for the Czech Republic.

The event, which took place in the Prague metropolis and was officially opened by the Minister of Transport Kupka, was attended by CEOs of European railway carriers, members of the International Union of Railways - UIC #UICrail and the Community of European Railway Companies CER. Among those present at the conference were CER CEO Alberto Mazzola, UIC Director General François DAVENNE, and other CEOs from more than 30 European passenger rail operators.

Czech Railways is also one of the active members of international railways such as UIC or CER, which also works within the framework of bilateral and multilateral interstate rail transport conventions. The Czech carrier is involved in the operation of the Eurotrack, which connects Prague and other Czech cities with the Central European metropolises of Berlin, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Warsaw, and several other major European economic and political centers. ČD is also involved in the development of modern transport concepts in cooperation with foreign partners.

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