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January 19, 1999 4:43 PM, EST

PARIS — The European Union’s hopes of shifting some freight off roads and onto “rail freight freeways” has failed to leave the station because of resistance from the railways, said Julia Clarke, director of the British Rail Freight Group.

“The Trans European Rail Freight Freeway concept is a great idea that nearly worked,” said Ms. Clarke in a speech late last year at the Adam Smith Institute. “Greed, mutual distrust and institutional rigidity are currently preventing the idea delivering any real benefits.”

EU Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock announced the rail freeway concept in 1997. It involves designating a limited number of international rail routes that can be used by any of Europe’s national railways. Under the plan, the railroads would get together to come up with a single charge for using their tracks and a schedule for trains hauling items.

So far, not a single freeway is operating, despite intense pressure from the EU to get things rolling.

“The freeway concept is certainly not dead,” said Lord Tony Berkley, chairman of the freight group and a key supporter of a Britain-Hungary freeway. “But it is taking a damn long time to get here.”

For the full story, see the Jan. 18 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.