FEPORT, alongside AERRL, CEFIC, CEPI, CLECAT, COCERAL, ECG, ERFA, ESC, EUROFER, UIP, and UIRR, has co-signed an open letter addressing the ongoing trilogue negotiations on the Railway Infrastructure Capacity Regulation.
The letter emphasizes the vital role of rail freight in sustaining European supply chains and the broader economy. Despite its significant potential, rail freight continues to face substantial challenges, particularly due to fragmented infrastructure management across national networks and the prioritization of passenger rail services.
To overcome these hurdles and advance the creation of a Single European Railway Area, the co-signatories have outlined seven key proposals:
- Harmonised and Binding Frameworks: Ensuring European frameworks for capacity management are binding and transparent.
- Incentives for Efficient Capacity Use: Introducing commercial conditions that prioritize capacity allocation for cross-border freight services.
- Integrated Train Path Management: Adopting a holistic approach to train path management, especially for cross-border routes involving multiple infrastructure managers.
- Socio-Economic and Environmental Criteria: Applying objective and harmonised European criteria for capacity allocation to enhance cross-border traffic management.
- Governance and Performance KPIs: Establishing a governance structure with key performance indicators, such as punctuality and border-crossing efficiency, to drive improvements.
- Enhanced Stakeholder Involvement: Providing capacity applicants with a decisive role through the establishment of a Rail User Platform for continuous consultation.
- Improving Upon Existing Frameworks: Strengthening the regulation to enhance the current Rail Freight Corridor framework without any regression.
The co-signatories urge institutional stakeholders involved in the trilogue negotiations to carefully consider these critical points, which are essential to the future competitiveness and sustainability of rail freight in Europe.
The open letter can be accessed here.
