España es presentada por algunos como un ejemplo en Europa de los beneficios de la apertura del transporte ferroviario de pasajeros. Sin embargo, el nuevo ministro socialista de Transportes, Óscar Puente, dijo recientemente en el Congreso de los Diputados que este modelo de liberalización - en el que solo compiten entre sí las compañias estatales - tiene "efectos perjudiciales" ya que sus pérdidas "tendrán el colchón del Estado para cubrirlas".

Spain is portrayed by some as an example of the benefits of passenger rail opening in Europe. However, Spain's new centre-left Transport Minister Óscar Puente recently said in parliament that this liberalisation model - in which only state incumbents compete with each other - has “damaging effects” because their losses will "have the cushion of the state to cover them”.

After almost 30 years of monopoly, Eurostar is suddenly facing a raft of new challengers on its core international routes, with competition offering the prospect of more trains, more choice and lower fares.

Heuro and other newcomers will be extremely good news for the Amsterdam-Brussels-Paris-London rail network. Indeed, in all countries where high-speed rail competition has been introduced, the fares for passengers have dropped and passenger numbers have grown fast. It is a clear win for modal shift to rail.

Heuro wants to offer outstanding service while reducing carbon emissions and ticket prices.ALLRAIL welcomes such newcomers – they will bring more choice and more trains to a market that is chronically underserved.