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
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
With the increasing energy bills and insecurity about a steady supply, the European railway sector calls for action. Sector associations Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA)...Read more
The European Commission’s intention to simplify the state aid rules for green transport could directly benefit rail, which is very important. However, when it comes to granting subsidies and funding, the Commission and the Member...Read more
The European Rail Freight Association sent a clear message to the EU Commission regarding the boost of cross-border rail. The association underlined that the Commission’s public consultation aiming to coordinate international rail traffic should be...Read more
The liberalisation of the rail freight market in the EU is developing well. In 2021, there is an almost equal representation of incumbents linked to a holding company and the private companies, or subsidiaries of...Read more
In light of the Commission’s revision of state aid guidelines for Railway Undertakings, the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) emphasises that it’s critical to ensure a level playing field for everyone in the European rail...Read more
The Railway Undertakings associations ERFA, FTE and ALLRAIL, proposed establishing specific commercial conditions and an International Body of Compliance to harmonise and control international rail freight traffic and capacity.Read more
In completing the TEN-T network, capacity for freight should not be forgotten, infrastructure works should not interrupt rail freight too much and the punctuality of freight trains should be monitored at the very least. Also,...Read more
Europe’s major infrastructure managers and railway undertakings have laid the cornerstones of the future of Digital Capacity Management (DCM). DCM will contribute to freeing up capacity on congested lines for both passenger and freight traffic....Read more
European policy makers should find a way of charging for infrastructure that incentivises the greenest possible choice of modality. This requires a multimodal approach, rather than an isolated policy for a single transport sector, say...Read more
Railway associations want to prolong the regulation allowing to waive, reduce or defer track access charges in the face of Covid-19. The regulation would last until the end of June, but they asked for it...Read more
Germany has proposed to continue the reduction of track access charges until the end of 2021. Interestingly, the charges will almost be nullified; from the current 50 per cent reduction it wants to move to...Read more
From next year, prices for freight railway undertakings using Polish infrastructure will increase by 2,3 per cent. The raise means that freight carriers will have to pay 13,09 PLN per tonne-km, instead of 12,80 PLN...Read more
The European Year of Rail should work as the starting point, where the sector will provide solutions rather than general arguments for burning issues such as the modal shift. This is how the European Rail...Read more
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 more
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
Non-discriminatory support measures for everyone in the rail freight sector. That is what the European Rail Freight Association wants from the European Commission and the Member States, responding to the the second COVID-19 wave hitting...Read more
Member States of the European Union may waive or reduce track access charges to support railway undertakings during the pandemic. The European Parliament voted in favor of this new regulation earlier today. Railway companies are...Read more
The European Commission has proposed a regulation that allows EU Member States to waive or reduce track access charges as well as reservation charges. This is to support railway undertakings, which are facing challenging times...Read more
Now that passenger traffic gradually returns to the railways of Europe, it is a good moment to reflect on the much-debated capacity issue for freight. If there is one lesson learnt from the corona crisis,...Read more
