Paris and Berlin are betting on rail in particular to develop links between Germany and France. The two governments are indeed working on the establishment of a “Franco-German train ticket for young people” in order to promote travel between the two countries, the two Ministers of Transport announced on Saturday after an encounter.
The details of this “special youth ticket at a reduced price”, for example for the summer season, will be defined by the Franco-German Council of Ministers in January 2023, they indicated.
“We must offer attractive offers”
“In order to achieve our climate targets for the transport sector, we need to convince even more people to travel by train. To do this, we must offer attractive offers,” Federal Transport and Digital Minister Volker Wissing also said in Paris on Friday for a “working visit” at the invitation of his counterpart Clément Beaune. “I am convinced that with such a ticket, we will strengthen both the relationship between our two countries and the climate-friendly mode of rail,” he added.
“Travel and exchange are at the heart of the Franco-German rapprochement. This is an important step in our common ambition for European construction and ecological transition,” commented Clément Beaune.
Currently strained relations
The initiative is announced in a context where the relationship between Paris and Berlin has come up against several disputes in recent weeks. Noting their differences, the two countries have also postponed the Franco-German Council of Ministers initially scheduled for the end of October. A lunch was held in the meantime at the Elysée in the presence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who assured that France and Germany remained “very close”.
On Friday, the two ministers visited the Paris-Le Bourget site of Airbus Helicopters, which produces “the most innovative blades on the market in terms of decarbonization and reduction of noise pollution”. They agreed to discuss their projects again in the coming weeks, and also their joint positions at the Transport Council on December 5 in Brussels.
Source: 20minutes
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
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