- Members of the European Parliament are proposing giving European Union citizens a continental rail pass on their eighteenth birthday
- Measure being considered, will potentially be years in the future.
The European Parliament is to consider a proposal to give EU citizens a free Inter-rail pass on their 18th birthday. Member states not part of the Interrail connection may choose to include other forms of transport, free of charge, under the system (Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta).
The German news service Tagesschau estimated the cost could reach €1.5bn per year depending on uptake and the type of pass.
Read more about the free interrail movement here and here. Sign the petition here. Interrail pass prices can be found here, at €200 for 5 days to €407 for 1 month (currently at a 15pc reduction).
Violeta Bulc, commissioner of transport for the EU: “We admire the boldness and the level of ambition, and we are ready to explore it further.”
Manfred Weber’s proposal (chairman of the EPP group in the European Parliament): “Such a programme would give the opportunity to all young people regardless of their social and educational background to discover Europe’s diversity, and promote Interrail travel as a pragmatic way to reduce carbon footprint.”
