Following a vote in Parliament's Transport Committee that saw a majority of MEPs rubber-stamp plans to further liberalise Europe's railways, GUE/NGL MEPs have condemned the result as a step in the wrong direction for workers, passengers, and democracy.

GUE/NGL MEP Sabine Wils said: “The EU remains fixated on the logic of liberalisation. By opening up the market for passenger rail transport services we are denying local authorities the right to decide how they want to organise their public transport services. The EU is indeed 'for sale' if we keep entrenching the neoliberal dogma of carving up public infrastructure for private profit.”

GUE/NGL MEP Jacky Hénin commented: “The first three railway packages have only led to price hikes for passengers and a severe deterioration in labour conditions for rail workers. Yet despite these failings we are now looking to repeat the same mistakes again with a new package, the design of which continues to serve the interests of rail companies.”

The tabled a minority opinion to express their strong opposition to the logic that underlies the fourth railway package. You can read the minority opinion here.