EU railway policy news
News about European Union policy and strategy and its impact on the rail industry, from Railway Gazette International.
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NewsAir and rail policymakers seek action on travel multimodality
EUROPE: Rail and aviation policymakers have highlighted five urgent policy needs to support efforts to develop a multimodal approach to ticketing and journey planning.
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NewsFreight sector calls for the same political attention as high speed rail
EUROPE: The European Rail Freight Association has called for greater political awareness of the sector, arguing that recent proposals to accelerate the development of a pan-European high speed rail network ‘barely mentioned’ freight.
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NewsEuropean Commission brings people together to discuss how to make transport careers more attractive
EUROPE: The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility & Transport hosted the Young People & Transport Jobs: Making Transport Careers More Attractive conference which explored how to make transport jobs more appealing.
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NewsA European rolling stock ‘oligopoly’ is harming railway companies and passengers, says open access operator
EUROPE: Open access operator Westbahn has described the European rolling stock market as an ‘oligopoly’ dominated by a few manufacturers, leading to reduce choice, long delivery times and high costs.
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In depthComment: Tensions around Swiss tunnel regulation reflect SERA challenge
Switzerland’s recent changes to its national wagon safety regulations following the 2023 Gotthard Base Tunnel derailment have sparked a debate over how far national interests should override pan-European interoperability ambitions, says our Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.
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NewsEuropean Commission sets out ambitions to develop an EU high speed rail network
EUROPE: The European Commission has unveiled a plan to accelerate the development of high speed rail, saying the creation of a well-functioning and faster network by 2040 would support the goals of becoming carbon-neutral and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness.
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NewsEU wants to see Madrid – Lisboa high speed rail link completed by 2034
EUROPE: The European Commission has announced a timeline for the completion of a high speed mixed-traffic railway linking Madrid and Lisboa.
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NewsSwiss safety authority accused of ‘regulatory zigzag’ as it adjusts wagon rules further
SWITZERLAND: Federal transport office BAV has issued a further amendment to the safety rules governing wagons using the Swiss main line network. Rail freight associations are demanding the changes be dropped entirely to avert risk of what UIP terms a ‘supply chain crisis’.
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In depthBaltic States: Tight timeline sparks Rail Baltica rethink
Facing increasing pressure on both cost and deliverability grounds, the Rail Baltica project to build a standard gauge spine through the Baltic States is now to be delivered in two phases. Toma Bačić explains.
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News‘Unilateral’ Gotthard Base Tunnel safety changes still threaten European rail freight, trade bodies warn
SWITZERLAND: Wagon owners remain concerned about changes to the rules governing freight trains passing through the Gotthard Base Tunnel. They say these have been imposed unilaterally by the Swiss authorities and pose a risk to the viability of pan-European rail freight.
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In depthFinland: Standard gauge rail links are on the agenda
Reflecting pressure from NATO and the EU to improve interoperability, Finland’s Minister of Transport Lulu Ranne has announced studies for standard gauge lines in northern Finland, with the priority being a link to Tornio on the Swedish border. Benjámin Zelki investigates.
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NewsCombined transport association sets out what rail needs from EU regulatory changes
EUROPE: Combined transport assocation UIRR has published an updated position paper on the EU’s forthcoming Rail Infrastructure Capacity Management Regulation.
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NewsRail suppliers call for EU public procurement rule change
EUROPE: Rail suppliers’ association UNIFE has called on the European Commission to ‘deter’ non-EU companies from bidding for EU public contracts if their home markets are not open to EU suppliers.
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NewsEU transport chief outlines rail funding and ERA reform plans
EUROPE: A doubling of Connecting Europe Facility transport grants and a review of the EU Agency for Railways’ mandate are among key priorities outlined by EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas in an exclusive interview.
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NewsStudy sets out rail’s role in net zero logistics chains
EUROPE: A study commissioned by the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking has quantified the significant environmental and economic benefits of integrating rail freight into European logistics chains.
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NewsConnecting Europe Facility expanded in post-2027 EU budget proposal
EUROPE: Rail bodies in Brussels have given a warm welcome to the provisional budget issued by the European Commission for the past-2027 period.
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NewsNetherlands referred to court over direct-award rail contract
NETHERLANDS: The European Commission has decided to refer the Netherlands to the Court of Justice of the European Union over the direct award of a concession for state incumbent NS to operate passenger services in 2025-33.
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NewsUNIFE calls for research funding to ’keep the European rail supply industry number one’
EUROPE: Supply industry association UNIFE has called for the EU budget to include a dedicated €3bn rail research programme as the successor to the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking, saying this would help to ’keep the European rail supply industry number one in the world, amid the ...
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NewsCommission says Dutch train operating contract award broke EU rules
NETHERLANDS: The European Commission has said the Netherlands failed to correctly apply EU rules on competitive tendering when it directly awarded state-owned incumbent NS a contract to operate passenger train services on the designated core rail network in 2025-33. On February 12 the Commission reported that ...
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In depthComment: A waning appetite for competition
While the EU’s third and fourth railway packages sought to liberalise the passenger rail sector within the bloc and influence it beyond, the establishment of a competitive dynamic within the European market seems less assured than it has for some time, argues Executive Editor Nick Kingsley.