The European Commission has not set its face against giving free rail passes on their 18th birthday so that they can visit Europe. European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc promised MEPs on Tuesday 4 October to give consideration to the idea which now has the backing of most political groups.
At present, 300,000 people use InterRail passes, costing between €200 and €480, every year; giving each 18 year-old a pass would raise a number of challenges and requires careful assessment, the commissioner said.
The idea of giving young people free rail passes is not new but interest in it was renewed in the European Parliament following Jean-Claude Juncker’s state of the Union speech in mid-September. EPP Group leader Manfred Weber responded by calling on the Commission to provide InterRail passes for young people to discover “the beauty and diversity of Europe for three weeks over the course of a two-year period”. He highlighted his idea in an oral question to the Commission: in his view, the initiative should apply to all 18 year old citizens or persons legally residing the Europe. For those countries which are not part of the InterRail network (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Malta), the scheme could encompass other forms of transport, such as bus or ferry, needed to travel to the closest member state in the network.
Most MEPs, like Weber, back the idea. During the debate in plenary session on 4 October, Daniela Aiuto (Italy), representing the EFDD Group, even called this a praiseworthy initiative before going on to point out that it would be a considerable expenditure that must not drawn from other initiatives.
Questions to be resolved. In response to the various demands, Commissioner Bulc said that she would examine the feasibility of such an initiative and alternatives to it. She would have to consider potential costs, where the money was to come from and the scope of such a scheme. “For example, how can account be taken of the fact that not all member states are members of the InterRail network? And could this scheme become – at least gradually – intermodal and not restricted only to rail passes?” she wondered, indicating that rail operators would be involved in the assessment.
According to German newscast Tagesschau, the cost of a free InterRail pass for all 18 year olds could be as much as €1.5 billion per year, if between 50% and 70% of young people (5.4 million) claim their pass.
The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) has said that, if an agreement were to be reached, it and its members would support the scheme. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)