Hanke calls for strategy for European rail industry EU Transport Ministers discuss the future of the rail industry – Austria pushes for a European industrial offensive for railways, digital sovereignty and fair competition conditions.

During today's meeting of the EU Transport Ministers Council, Mobility Minister Peter Hanke proposed to the European Commission to develop a comprehensive strategy for the European rail industry. The background is the increasingly distorted global competition conditions, the growing importance of digital technologies in the rail sector, and the strategic significance of the rail industry for Europe's economy, mobility, and supply security.

“The European rail industry generates around 45 billion euros in revenue each year and secures more than 650,000 jobs. It is a strategically important key industry for the European Union. Without a strong rail industry, climate-friendly mobility, industrial value creation, innovation, and secure supply in Europe are unthinkable,” emphasized Hanke on the sidelines of the council meeting.

The European Commission has already presented sector-specific industrial initiatives such as the Industrial Action Plan for the automotive industry or the Industrial Maritime Strategy for shipping in recent years. Austria now sees the time has come to develop a comparable strategic approach for the European rail industry.

Austria's demand is also based on current analyses by the Austrian Institute for Economic Research (WIFO), which show a profound change in global competition conditions in the rail sector. Accordingly, the international market is increasingly dominated by state-supported corporations that benefit from extensive subsidies, state-directed financing, and restricted market access for foreign providers. As a result, European manufacturers, despite their technological strengths and high social, environmental, and safety standards, are increasingly under pressure.

“We are facing an industrial and security policy challenge. It is no longer just about which trains run on our tracks. It is also about who decides on our mobility, who controls the software, and how we secure our critical infrastructure in the long term,” said Hanke.

According to Hanke, the European rail industry strategy must meet five central requirements:

  1. Conducting a comprehensive risk analysis and assessing strategic dependencies
  2. Evaluating existing European instruments regarding their applicability to the rail sector
  3. Ensuring equal market conditions and fair competition with third countries through consistent application of existing trade and market access instruments
  4. Greater use of public procurement as a lever for fair competition and European value creation
  5. Promoting digital sovereignty and security-related requirements in rail systems and approval processes.
“Open markets need fair rules. If Europe invests billions in expanding its rail infrastructure, these investments must also strengthen innovation, know-how, and high-quality jobs in Europe. The question is: Do we want to remain technology leaders or become technology consumers? This decision will also be made on the rail,” concluded Hanke.