‘Post-covid future of international trains looks bright’
The number of Thalys and Eurostar passengers, both of which were recently rescued with loans, were on the rise before the corona crisis hit. There are many opportunities in shifting European air travel to rail,...Read more
European Commissioner: legislation in the making for tripling high-speed trains
The European Commission will formulate EU legislation for “concrete actions” to double rail freight transport and triple the number of high-speed train services by 2050. In the meantime, trials are underway with a European train...Read more
Renfe to enter Central European market by buying stakes in Czech operator Leo Express
Renfe is finalising the process for the acquisition of 50 percent of the stakes of Leo Express, a private Czech railway company. This will allow activity in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, and have...Read more
Deadline for the technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package expired
The deadline for Member States to transpose the technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package has expired last Saturday. This package enables the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) to become Europe’s single certification body...Read more
7,800 railway vehicles authorised for cross-European operations
The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) has celebrated the first anniversary since it started to authorise railway vehicles, to issue safety certificates and ERTMS approvals. For this period, it delivered 638 authorisations for 7,800...Read more
Railways need reimbursement agreements (column)
The Track Access Charges (TACs) are one of the most significant financial sources for infrastructure managers. However, they are not applicable to recovering the infrastructure investments costs. But, in some cases, they can be a...Read more
Lithuanian Railways completes corporate reform
Lithuanian Railways has completed the corporate reform. The state-owned holding incorporated a separate infrastructure company instead of the specialised division. Earlier, there have been established two companies for operations. One is dedicated to freight service,...Read more
Experts advise EU to develop internal rail market
The group of European railway experts has prepared several recommendations to the European Commission to maintain the global leadership of the EU rail supply industry. All advice, in one way or another, provide a direction...Read more
ERA authorises 1,500 vehicles for operations across Europe
European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) has reported the first results after the implementation of new EU legislation in the rail sector on 16 June. During the first 100 days, the European institution received 183...Read moreERA issues first vehicle authorisation
The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) has issued the first vehicle authorisation for operations across Europe. The historic document was delivered in three weeks after ERA becoming European authorising entity for rail traffic in...Read moreEurope makes major step to single rail market
European Union has made a major step towards the single rail market. On 16 June, the EU Agency for Railways (ERA) has taken responsibility for vehicle authorisation, safety certification, and ERTMS trackside approval. This rule...Read moreERA survey: rail freight sector not ready for 4th Railway Package
When asked whether people were aware of the changes that will be introduced from June 2019 with the implementation of the 4th Railway Package, half of the respondents answered negatively. The survey was carried out...Read more