Congested railway track in EU doubled over 3-year period
The total length of railway track that was congested in the EU has almost doubled from 2015 to 2018. In total, congestion affected 2,261 kilometres of track in the 27 countries of the EU (3,32...Read more
UIRR study warns for consequences of new EU road haulage rules
UIRR unveiled the results of a study concerning the impact of the new EU road haulage rules on Combined Transport (CT). The rules, otherwise known as Mobility Package I, could lead to an 8 per...Read more
Germany: 200 million state aid for interoperability
The European Commission has approved a 200 million euros scheme by the German state for the upgrade of rail vehicles in the area of Stuttgart. Financial support will take the form of direct grants to...Read more
Angela Merkel: ‘Only with rail we will achieve our climate goals’
“Rail plays a special role in achieving climate protection goals. We want more people to switch from cars or planes to trains and more goods to be transported by rail”, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel...Read more
Is the elimination of Chinese subsidies a good idea?
Over the past three years, China has been scaling down subsidies for train traffic between China and Europe. Financial support could not be more than 50 per cent of freight costs in 2018, no more...Read more
CER begins European Year of Rail with new Executive Director
For the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), the year 2021 marks a change of leadership. The new Executive Director, Alberto Mazzola, has officially entered office. He was unanimously elected by the CER...Read more
This is what the European Year of Rail has to offer
This year is the European Year of Rail, and the European Commission has launched the official website of this event. The train as a smart and sustainable means of transport will receive extra attention in...Read more
Dutch rail freight subsidy increases by 3 million
The temporary subsidy for the promotion of rail freight will increase by 3 million euros for 2021 and the year after. Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Stientje van Veldhoven, will raise the...Read more
A national investment strategy for rail freight
UK trade union RMT has renewed calls for the government in London to put in place a national investment strategy to fully support the rail freight sector. The union wants to see financial support for...Read more
Rail sector demands equal treatment for infrastructure charges
The rail sector is concerned about last week’s announcements regarding the upgrade of the European Climate Law. CER, ERFA, and UIRR believe that the Eurovignette Directive reform undermines rail freight’s competition, and focuses more on...Read moreERFA: ‘Year of rail arrives in the most appropriate time’
On 15 December the European Parliament officially adopted 2021 as the European year of Rail with 684 votes in favour. ERFA welcomed the decision and highlighted the benefits and focal points that should be taken...Read more
EU’s mobility strategy: ‘rail freight traffic will double by 2050’
The European Commission announced its ‘sustainable and smart mobility strategy’ and ‘action plan’ with regards to the transformation of European transportation. Objectives concern the doubling of rail freight traffic by 2050, and the doubling of...Read more
EU member states implement track access charges measures
Several European countries have already reduced or waived track access charges (TACs) for rail freight undertakings. For instance, Germany and the Netherlands have cut them in half, while Austria and Luxemburg have waived them completely....Read more
European Commission supports Rail Facilities Portal
The Rail Facilities Portal is now officially backed by the European Commission (DG MOVE) and many major organisations in the railway sector. The European web portal offers information on all kinds of rail service facilities...Read more
Commission approves Austrian support scheme
The European Commission has approved an Austrian financial support scheme for rail freight transportation. The scheme which is compiled by two measures aims to cover grants and relieve rail operators from track access charges. With...Read more
European court upholds fine on Lithuanian Railways
The Commission’s decision to fine Lithuanian Railways (LG) back in 2017 is correct. This is the verdict of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The fine was imposed to the rail operator with...Read more