Brussels, 17/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Rail Freight Group (RFG) accuses the German rail company, Deutsche Bahn (DB), and the Community of European Railways (CER) of denying the success of rail reform in the United Kingdom and of seeking to discourage other Member States to implement the first and second EU rail packages or of distorting the situation with unfounded criticism. RFG reproaches the CER and the DB for making comments that do not reflect the true situation and for not using any real figures. According to DB, British rail reform is a “total disaster” but RFG maintains, figures in hand, that rail freight transport in the United Kingdom has increased by over 50% since 1994 (beginning of privatisation), and that freight transport by rail compared to road has climbed from 8.5% to 11.5%. Also, it says, passenger transport increased by 32% between 1995 and 2002, and statistics relating to safety and accidents in rail transport are in line with the “average for continental networks”. Furthermore, RFG defends against CER the model of vertical separation between the exploitation of transport services and the management of infrastructures. “Without total separation of infrastructures and transport operations, there will be no fair competition between freight operators”, and competition is enormously advantageous to consumers, Tony Berkeley, RFG President, explains in a letter addressed to DB on 28 October. Mr Berkeley also reminds the CER in a letter dated 3 November that the problems in recent years in the United Kingdom were linked to incorrect implementation of vertical separation, and not the model itself. RFG therefore calls on DB and CER to give reasons for their criticism, in public. It expresses the hope that liberalisation of rail transport in Europe will not be limited by competitive and monopolistic practices of state railways and hopes this will also benefit road hauliers.