EU rules are making rail maintenance dearer and more difficult

Question for written answer E-003697/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Jonas Sjöstedt (The Left), Hanna Gedin (The Left)

Västernorrland in Sweden is currently feeling the effects of climate change. Torrential rain is destroying roads, railways and infrastructure in a number of areas. This is compounded by the fact that Sweden has a major backlog where railway maintenance is concerned - maintenance that is unfortunately being delayed and hindered as a result of EU rules.

Railway maintenance work is carried out by various maintenance companies under procurement contracts. Maintenance is now slower and of poorer quality because the Swedish Transport Administration has started choosing the cheapest tender in every procurement procedure. This is because the maintenance companies appeal as a matter of course when procurement contracts worth billions of kronor are awarded. Court cases and settlements have cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of kronor[1] - money that could otherwise have been used to repair the railways. Rail passengers are also paying the price, with a rail service that's getting worse by the day.

• 1.Does the Commission take the view that there are EU rules that in various ways make it dearer and more difficult for Member States to maintain their railways, and if so, how does the Commission intend to review those rules to secure the smooth running of the railways in Europe?
• 2.Does the Commission consider it reasonable that the way procurement rules are formulated in the rail sector often leads to the lowest price being the deciding factor and results in expensive court cases when the cheapest tender is not chosen?
• 3.Does the Commission think it is possible to comply with EU procurement rules for railways without having the extensive right of appeal currently in place in Sweden?

Submitted: 24.9.2025

• [1] https://www.dn.se/ekonomi/jarnvagen-vittrar-sonder-mitt-framfor-vara-ogon/