The support is intended to promote the shift of traffic from road to rail.
The EU Commission has approved state aid measures by Austria to support rail freight and rail passenger transport in the corona crisis. The Brussels authority announced this on Wednesday.
activities
According to the EU Commission, the two measures in favor of rail freight transport will increase public support in order to further promote the shift of freight transport from road to rail.
The first measure will increase an existing funding scheme for 2020. This year, financial aid amounting to an estimated 150.7 million euros can be granted.
Temporary discharge
The second aid, which is expected to be worth 115.7 million euros, is intended to enable Austria to relieve rail freight transport companies from 1 March to 31 December 2020 for infrastructure charges. The third measure provides temporary relief for railway companies that offer passenger transport services.
As part of the measure, endowed with around 9 million euros, the road charges will be waived from October 8 to December 31, 2020.
