AllRail warns Belgian government for sustaining SNCB monopoly
AllRail, the European interest group for independent passenger rail companies, is threatening to file a complaint against the Belgian government with the European Commission. It warns that the plans to give a direct award for...Read more
Spanish Iryo takes off with inaugural journey
The 21st of November was a major milestone for the Spanish high-speed rail competition, as the inaugural train of operator Iryo took off. There are only a few days left before 25 November, when the...Read more
France seems to welcome competition on the rails, yet new services keep getting postponed
AnalysisOnly one competitor to the state-owned railways SNCF currently runs trains on the French network. This is Italy’s Trenitalia, which has been running on the Paris-Lyon-Milan axis since 2020. Although there are quite some plans...Read more
Finland’s first open-access rail operator prepares operations, what did their journey look like?
InterviewNewly founded operator Suomen Lähijunat Oy (Finland Commuter trains) has big plans in Finland. “We chipped away at the existing monopoly in Finland on the bus side, and we could very well be at a...Read more
Dutch government to open international connections up to competition
The Dutch ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will allow competition on the international lines to Brussels, Paris, London and Basel, as well as the service between Amsterdam and Berlin. The move is not without...Read more
ALLRAIL blasts Eurostar’s reasoning for strategy change
The Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants in Europe (ALLRAIL) has highlighted Eurostar’s recent change in strategy as one of the reasons why policymakers need to act swiftly to ensure competition through the Channel Tunnel.Read more
New Spanish operator Iryo starts ticket sale
The ticket for the first journeys with Iryo are on sale from Sunday. Starting 25 November, Iryo will be the third operator on the Spanish high-speed network with its initial service between Madrid, Zaragoza and...Read more
AllRail warns Dutch parliament of NS concession violating EU market regulation
In an urgent letter, the European interest group ALLRAIL has sounded the alarm about “extreme tunnel vision” at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure regarding a new private concession to Dutch Railways (NS). In doing so,...Read more
Rail operators want to run more international trains, but where to get them?
With the European market increasingly opening up to private operators and with the comeback of night trains well underway, the availability of rolling stock has become a large obstacle, especially for open-access train operators. What...Read more
‘ÖBB and ČD breached EU rules by blocking RegioJet from access to rolling stock’
Czech Railways ČD and the Austrian ÖBB boycotted RegioJet to keep the operator from access to used rolling stock between 2012 and 2016, the European Commission says in a preliminary statement to the companies.Read more
FlixTrain offers new destinations in Germany and first train to Switzerland
FlixTrain announced an expansion of its network in Germany on Wednesday, which for the first time has a cross-border connection to Switzerland. It includes three new lines with 12 new destinations: Stuttgart – Hamburg, Berlin...Read more
Ouigo Spain marks its first anniversary after succesful year
SNCF subsidiary Ouigo Spain marks its first anniversary this week. Since its launch on 10 May 2021, the company has carried more than 2 million passengers between Madrid, Zaragoza, Tarragona and Barcelona, where it competes...Read more
10 years of Italian high-speed rail liberalisation: lessons and future steps
AnalysisThe rail liberalisation process that occurred on the Italian high-speed network is considered by many a successful example of competition in the rail market. The 28th of April marks the tenth anniversary of the introduction...Read more