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Uniting Europe through rail is the key to a greener future

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Uniting Europe through rail is the key to a greener future

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews.

Europe’s rail system must embrace a total systems approach, where silos are broken down, and all stakeholders collaborate for transformative outcomes, TC Chew writes.

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For decades, Europe has mooted a more competitive rail sector that could seamlessly cross national borders and carry more passengers and freight.

There have been huge strides forward with shared climate targets and more interoperability of train journeys across borders.

But to boost rail as the go-to form of travel over more carbon-intensive alternatives such as short-haul flights, more work needs to be done on improving the experience for individual passengers.

While ambitious plans to triple high-speed rail across the region by 2050 exist, with trains accounting for just 6% of inland passenger transport in the EU, more needs to be done to make rail journeys a more appealing choice.

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A modern, interconnected rail system can help Europe achieve its environmental goals but putting it in place will require relentless focus on the consumer experience.

A continental approach for rail

There are some best-in-class cases of rail systems across Europe. Zurich and Vienna are often featured on best-of lists for offering fantastic conditions for travellers on the continent.

There has also been significant progress in the vision for an integrated, continental rail network, with the European Union having recognised the need to boost cross-border rail.

Initiatives such as the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) are helping smooth train journeys internationally, speeding up journey times and improving safety.

But there are still big challenges to overcome — like the ageing of the vital infrastructure that makes rail work.

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As Europe’s railways age, continued investment in maintenance and utilising modern technology and data standards is vital for minimising disruption so consumers are confident they can rely on trains when they travel.

To truly modernise Europe’s rail systems, we must fulfil the vision of a continental strategy rather than taking a country-by-country approach. Different countries have varying levels of rail development, but all must come together to harmonise standards and invest in a unified system.

This requires three things: first, a commitment to cross-border collaboration and a set of basic requirements across the region for upgrading stations, tracks and carriages. Second, a strategic approach to investment and upgrades.

Instead of using funds for projects that will only bring quick improvements at the national level, EU states must invest across the whole of Europe in technologies such as integrated communication and passenger information systems.

Finally, a continent-wide regeneration of Europe’s rail systems, from signalling and communications to rolling stock, requires strong leadership to unite efforts and encourage the sharing of best practices.

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Designing with humans at the centre

To encourage people to choose rail over cars and planes, rail services must deliver a seamless, safe, and reliable travel experience. This requires a holistic approach to improving performance and train and station conditions.

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The entire rail industry — operators, regulators, suppliers, and governments — must work together to enhance passenger experience. Quality services, punctuality, and comfortable facilities will foster trust and encourage more people to choose rail travel.

To do this, we must start with the passengers. Meeting their transport needs in a way that’s as quick, easy, reliable, affordable, inclusive, and comfortable as possible is critical to success.

Staff across the rail industry also need to feel inspired and supported to deliver the quality of service everyone wants to see.

We also need to consider the expectations of communities in and around the rail network if we want our investments to translate into greater prosperity and social well-being.

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Projects like Copenhagen’s metro expansion and Madrid’s Chamartin masterplan showcase the potential of integrating rail with broader urban planning to enhance connectivity.

These two cities are acutely aware that the journey doesn’t end at the station and that door-to-door convenience is essential, requiring integration with other modes of transport.

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Resilient rail for a changing climate

Trains are touted as the most environmentally friendly form of mass transport – accounting for just 2% of the world’s transport energy demand.

But unprecedented temperatures and increasingly frequent extreme weather events put global rail networks at risk, exacerbating existing challenges like ageing infrastructure and capacity constraints. Rail operators are being forced to spend billions to deal with disruption and damage caused by climate change.

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Last month, the UK’s Network Rail announced that it would spend £2.8 billion over the next five years to ensure its infrastructure is able to cope with the risks of climate change. Building more resilient rail systems now will be less disruptive – and less costly – than constantly responding to emergencies.

However, resilience investment shouldn’t be viewed as a distraction from other rail improvements — it’s a vital part of making everything else work.

“Business-as-usual” things like governance, managing existing infrastructure in a smart way, operational planning, use of data and technology, and workforce planning don’t make headlines. But their impact can be as significant as major new investment in building climate change resilience.

We can also draw on lessons from other continents. For example, Japan’s rail network is highly energy-efficient, with electric trains accounting for a significant portion of the fleet and a conscious use of recycled materials.

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Europe’s rail system must embrace a total systems approach, where silos are broken down, and all stakeholders collaborate for transformative outcomes.

While achieving a single European rail network may seem ambitious, the benefits outweigh the challenges.

The rail sector already makes a substantial contribution to the EU economy, directly employing more than half a million people with an economic footprint of €143bn.

We need to make bold and united decisions for our railways’ future, and we must do it at pace.

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TC Chew is Global Rail Leader at Arup.

At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.

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Belgium open to housing foreign prisoners in other countries, minister says

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Belgium’s Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt is looking at “every possible solution” to increase the number of irregular migrants returned from Belgium, including renting or building prison space abroad to house foreign prisoners.

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Minneapolis on edge after fatal shooting of woman by ICE officer

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Minneapolis on edge after fatal shooting of woman by ICE officer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis was on edge Thursday following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer taking part in the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown, with the governor calling for people to remain calm and schools canceling classes and activities as a safety precaution.

State and local officials demanded ICE leave the state after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot in the head. But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said agents are not going anywhere.

The Department of Homeland Security has deployed more than 2,000 officers to the area in what it says is its largest immigration enforcement operation ever. Noem said more than 1,500 people have been arrested.

Macklin Good’s killing Wednesday morning in a residential neighborhood south of downtown was recorded on video by witnesses, and by the evening hundreds of people came out for a vigil to mourn her and urge the public to resist immigration enforcement. Some then chanted as they marched through the city, but there was no violence.

“I would love for ICE to leave our city and for more community members to come to see it happens,” said Sander Kolodziej, a painter who came to the vigil to support the community.

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The videos of the shooting show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward, and a different ICE officer standing in front of it pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

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It is not clear from the videos if the vehicle makes contact with the officer, and there is no indication of whether the woman had interactions with ICE agents earlier. After the shooting the SUV speeds into two cars parked on a curb before crashing to a stop.

In another recording made afterward, a woman who identifies Macklin Good as her spouse is seen crying near the vehicle. The woman, who is not identified, says the couple recently arrived in Minnesota and they had a child.

Noem called the incident an “act of domestic terrorism” against ICE officers, saying the driver “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.”

President Donald Trump made similar accusations on social media and defended ICE’s work.

Noem alleged that the woman was part of a “mob of agitators” and said the officer followed his training. She said the FBI would investigate.

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But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called Noem’s version of events “garbage.”

“They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense,” Frey said. “Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit.”

He also criticized the federal deployment and said the agents should leave.

The shooting marked a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major cities under the Trump administration. Wednesday’s is at least the fifth death linked to the crackdowns.

The Twin Cities have been on edge since DHS announced the operation’s launch Tuesday, at least partly tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

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A crowd of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting to vent their anger at local and federal officers.

In a scene that hearkened back to crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago, people chanted “ICE out of Minnesota” and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the operations.

Gov. Tim Walz said he was prepared to deploy the National Guard if necessary. He expressed outrage over the shooting but called on people to keep protests peaceful.

“They want a show,” Walz said. “We can’t give it to them.”

There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot Macklin Good.

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Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said state authorities would investigate the shooting with federal authorities.

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Dell’Orto reported from St. Paul, Minnesota. Associated Press reporters Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Ed White in Detroit, Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas, Mark Vancleave in Las Vegas, Michael Biesecker In Washington, Jim Mustian in New York and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

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‘Irregular’ armed guards aboard Russian shadow tankers alarm Nordic-Baltic governments

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‘Irregular’ armed guards aboard Russian shadow tankers alarm Nordic-Baltic governments

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The seizure of a Russian-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic has highlighted “worry” among NATO and Nordic-Baltic governments over dark fleet vessels and the type of crews onboard, according to a maritime intelligence analyst.

U.S. military and Coast Guard personnel boarded the Marinera between Iceland and the U.K. Wednesday as it operated under deceptive shipping practices, including flying a false flag and violating sanctions.

According to Reuters, Russian authorities demanded the humane treatment and repatriation of the crew members.

Windward maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann claimed the Marinera’s ownership had just been transferred to Burevestmarin LLC, a Russian company.

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TREASURY TARGETS OIL TRADERS, TANKERS ACCUSED OF HELPING MADURO EVADE U.S. SANCTIONS

U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, according to the U.S. military. (US European Command)

“We do not know the status of these sailors and seafarers, who are Russian nationals,” Wiese Bockmann told Fox News Digital. “That lack of clarity is common with dark fleet tankers.

“The Marinera did have its ownership transferred to a newly formed Russian company, with the registered owner, ship manager and commercial manager being Burevestmarin LLC.”

She also suggested NATO and the Nordic-Baltic 8+ group of governments have been “worried” about sanctioned oil tankers with unauthorized personnel onboard, including “armed guards.”

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WORLD’S BIGGEST OIL RESERVE HOLDER FACES US CHOKEHOLD AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELA’S SHADOW TANKER FLEET

U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, according to the U.S. military. (US European Command)

“Increasingly, and I know the Nordic Baltic 8+ governments are worried about the fact that you are having unauthorized people also on board, also known as armed guards,” Wiese Bockmann said. “But it is highly irregular.

“Armed guards are rarely seen and typically used on ships that are transiting the Gulf of Aden or the Red Sea and are therefore assessed as at risk from attack by Houthis or pirates,” she added.

After the seizure, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected Russian demands for special treatment of the Marinera’s crew during her regular briefing Wednesday.

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“This was a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that had transported sanctioned oil,” Leavitt said.

“The vessel was deemed stateless after flying a false flag, and it had a judicial seizure order. And that’s why the crew will be subject to prosecution.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was “closely following” the situation, according to the state-run TASS news agency.

US COAST GUARD PURSUES THIRD ‘DARK FLEET’ OIL TANKER AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELAN SANCTIONS EVASION NETWORK

A crude oil tanker waits its turn to be loaded with crude oil at Lake Maracaibo in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela, May 9, 2025.  (Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images)

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Wiese Bockmann noted that dark fleet crews are often multinational, typically involving a Russian master with Chinese, Indian or Filipino crew members.

“There is a blurring of commercial and military shipping around the dark fleet,” she said. “What we’re seeing now is something that has really only emerged in the last six or seven months.”

European authorities have also begun holding crews accountable, particularly when captains are “facilitating dangerous deceptive shipping practices, such as spoofing and going dark,” she explained.

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“The EU recently sanctioned the captain of a tanker who refused orders from the Estonian navy (Jaguar) to be stopped for inspection last May. And the French charged a captain over his refusal to comply with orders and failure to justify a flag’s nationality after authorities intercepted a dark fleet tanker in the Atlantic last October,” Wiese Bockmann added.

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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, a second vessel, the M. Sophia, was also boarded in international waters near the Caribbean while en route to Venezuela.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

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