EUROPE: Central European state operators and infrastructure managers are planning to co-operate to develop a network of ‘high speed’ passenger services connecting Warszawa, Praha, Bratislava, Ljubljana, Wien and Budapest, but independent operators have raised concerns that they could be shut out.
A declaration of intent is scheduled to be signed in Wien on September 9 by Austria’s ÖBB, the Czech Republic’s České Dráhy and Správa Železnic, Hungary’s MÁV, Poland’s PKP, Slovakia’s ZSSK and ŽSR Infrastructure and Slovenia’s SŽ
A leaked draft of the declaration says the signatories aim to find a common approach for the development of a high speed and interoperable network connecting major cities. They would co-operate to minimise journey times, harmonise strategies, conduct joint feasibility studies and meet regularly to exchange information on strategic projects and sources of finance.
The AllRail association of independent operators said it was concerned that only the six state-owned incumbent operators would be involved, and that they would not be sufficiently independent from the infrastructure managers to ensure that all operators would be treated in a non-discriminatory manner.
AllRail also expressed concern that confidential financial information could be shared between the participants, and said any new or existing cross-border collaborations between market dominant state-owned incumbents must be fully subject to EU competition law.
AllRail said co-operation agreements between incumbents ‘reduce choice for passengers and keep ticket prices high’ and are ‘costly and slow’ with additional bureaucracy which means ‘instead of acting nimbly, they have to agree upon everything with each other first before taking a decision’.
‘Operators should not need a partner operator to cross an internal EU border’, said Secretary General Nick Brooks. ‘Instead, every operator should be able to do this and operate within other EU member states on its own. Any co-operation must focus on non-discriminatory interoperability of rolling stock and infrastructure.’
ÖBB confirmed to Railway Gazette International that the declaration was being worked on, but said it was too early to release further details.
