MEP wants to take power from IMs with regulation amendments
The Regulation on the Use of Railway Infrastructure Capacity, part of the Greening Freight Package, is currently under revision. Tilly Metz, Member of the European Parliament, recently presented 172 amendments, most of which focus on...Read more
European Vehicle Register: upgrade or bust?
analysisThe rail industry in Europe is asking to make the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) the registration entity in the context of the European Vehicle Register (EVR), a European database where wagon keepers can...Read more
Why a collective track access charging approach matters
The disparity noticed on the track access charges (TAC) applied by different EU member states is a problem when it comes to utilising them strategically in achieving modal shift goals. A collective European charging approach,...Read more
ERFA: ‘significant work is still needed on the Greening Freight Package’
File: Greening Freight Package The European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) recently published two position papers on the Directives included in the Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP). One concerns the Weight and Dimension Directive (WDD), for which ERFA claimed that...Read more
Combined Transport Directive should be ready by November
File: Greening Freight Package The Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP) remains one of the most relevant topics in the rail freight industry in Europe. Among the most discussed and awaited aspects is the Combined Transport Directive (CTD). Akos Ersek,...Read more
Capacity management: The pros and cons of the Commission’s proposals
File: Greening Freight Package The EU Commission’s proposal for the Regulation on the use of Railway Infrastructure Capacity, as part of the Greening Freight Package, is probably one of the most positive developments the rail sector could expect from...Read more
Greening Freight Package: intermodal measures ‘irrelevant or ineffective’
File: Greening Freight Package Scepticism from the rail freight industry concerning parts of the EU’s Greening Freight Transport Package (GFTP) is now taking the form of direct calls to the EU Parliament and Council to avoid detrimental mistakes. A...Read more
DB Netz: ‘New cancellation fee due to disruptions caused by rail operators’
DB Netz’s new cancellation fee for 2024 is rousing discontent in the railway sector all over Europe. However, it seems that nothing will change since the German government approved the infrastructure manager’s request. A spokesperson...Read more
Greening Freight Package: first look positive, concrete actions must follow
File: Greening Freight Package The European Commission’s proposals for greener freight transport announced on Tuesday, 11 July, seem to be on the right track. The new Greening Freight Package measures highlight rail and the optimised capacity use and allocation...Read more
European rail freight companies unite against DB Netz’s cancellation fees
Seven of the largest rail freight companies in Europe are jointly asking German infrastructure manager DB Netz to review their cancellation fee that will be applied in 2024. The companies are Rail Cargo Group, SBB...Read more
Infrastructure managers and rail fees cause another headache to rail freight
Recently established railway infrastructure fees related to train cancellations, parking and service quality cause yet another headache to the rail freight industry. That is because they are not always proportionate, while they are not accompanied...Read more
Not half of new railway cars equipped with ERTMS: ‘no business case’
54 per cent of new vehicles put into operation between 2015 and 2019 were done so without ERTMS onboard units being equipped. This is in contrast with the ambition of the EU to gradually implement...Read more
Private rail freight sector now dominates the market
Last year was the year of the private sector in rail. For the first time in history, private companies or subsidiaries of large holdings that act like a private company account for a majority of...Read more
Commission unwilling to adopt all suggestions of ECA intermodal report
The EU Commission responded swiftly to the European Court of Auditors’ report on intermodal transport and the share of rail freight. The report, which provided worrisome findings, might illustrate the situation as overly dramatic according...Read more
A common language for European train drivers: additional hurdle or solution?
ANALYSISThe European rail sector remains divided: should there be a common language for cross-border train operations for staff such as train drivers, personnel and traffic controllers? The remarkable thing is that the freight association ERFA,...Read more
Single wagon traffic vs block trains: financial support should not be a vicious circle
As many states are already supporting or planning to adopt supportive measures for single wagon traffic, the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) draws attention to the possibly distorting side effects that such practice could have...Read more
Germany steps in to help railway companies pay electricity bill
The German parliament has voted in favour of reducing electricity prices for railways to 13 cents per kWh. This is a significant reduction of what the industry pays now, according to Conor Feighan from the...Read more
Do EU transport ministers hear the railway sector’s pleas?
The informal meeting of the Eu transport ministers on Friday, 21 October, could produce some palpable energy measures for the railway sector. The energy, and specifically, electricity crisis plaguing rail freight and passenger transport currently...Read more
Rail unions raise their voices on increasing electricity prices
ERFA, UIP, and UIRR urged the EU to activate “an emergency intervention to address high energy prices that will be applied to traction electricity used by freight trains”. Electricity prices throughout the Union have increased...Read more