11/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - Addressing the European Parliament on Tuesday 9 March 2010, EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas recognised the need to redesign the first rail package that will supplement other measures which will probably be needed to breathe new life into the railways in Europe, along with the need for new funding. The Commissioner said all possible resources will need to be combined and new tools will need to be developed to fund the rail industry in order to speed up liberalisation (foreseen in the first rail package, Ed.) and also to ensure modern management of rail traffic, improving ticket reservation and purchasing systems and ensuring better connections between Eastern and Western Europe. The Commissioner repeated his criticisms of Member States' 'reluctance' to open up the railways to competition. Kallas said that the first rail package had excellent intentions and these could be continued in the review. He explained that the problem was not the package of draft legislation as such, but rather the implementation of the measures. He hoped he would be able to return to the EP with the rewritten rail package in his hands. (A.By.)