EU commission greenlights Renfe pledge for enhanced competition in Spanish rail ticketing
The European Commission has formally accepted commitments from Renfe, the Spanish state-owned rail operator, addressing concerns and fostering competition in the country’s online rail ticketing sector. This was announced on 17 January 2024.Read more
Switzerland extends ERA permits for trains across the EU for another year
Switzerland and the European Union (EU) agreed to extend their cooperation with the European Railway Agency (ERA) until 31 December 2024. Under this agreement, ERA has been taking responsibility for vehicle authorisation, safety certification, and...Read more
European Commission urged to “show leadership” and develop a night train strategy
The Transport Ministers of Belgium, Austria and Luxembourg, as well as MEPs and numerous associations, call European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to act upon the recent renaissance of night trains and present a...Read more
Direct award to NS against European Commission’s wishes could prove costly, Dutch ministry admits
If the Netherlands goes through with awarding NS the main railway net concession without a tender process and the European court were to rule this illegitimate, the Dutch government could face a fine of at...Read more
Spain faces EU Court of Justice for rail regulation violations
The European Commission has decided to refer Spain to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to correctly transpose and applying EU rules concerning rail, it announced on 18 October.Read more
What has changed in European rail: the highlights of the latest EU report
AnalysisWhat is the state of rail in the EU, and what has changed in the past years? To this end, the European Commission publishes a yearly Rail Market Monitoring Report (RMMS), the 8th version of...Read more
Iricav Due consortium wins 1.8 billion euro ERTMS contract in Italy
The Iricav Due consortium consisting of Italian industrial group Webuild (82.95 percent) and Hitachi Rail (17.05 percent) has won a new 1.8 billion euro digital signalling contract for a high-speed line between Verona and Padua,...Read more
EU to fund rail siding construction for ‘any willing company’ in Czechia
The European Commission recently approved a funding scheme for railway siding that covers construction, upgrade and renovations in Czechia. The backing is worth 74 million euros and will run until 2027. The EU institution said...Read more
Brussels takes aim at the Netherlands for planning direct award to NS
The European Commission is starting an infringement procedure against the Netherlands for “failing to correctly apply” EU regulations on public transport, the European body announced on Friday. The Commission takes issue with plans for a...Read more
CPK high-speed project obtains 64-million-euro EU grant
Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK)’s 140-kilometre-long high-speed railway line project between Warsaw and Łódź has obtained almost 64 million euros of funding from the European Union (EU). The high-speed line will connect the new CPK airport...Read more
Ukraine can now fund transport projects via CEF
An agreement between the EU Commission and Ukraine allows the second to benefit from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funds. The deal, which was signed earlier this week, is an important milestone towards post-war Ukrainian...Read moreLeading associations fear half-baked measures on EU ticketing regulation
10 European and international associations sent an open letter to European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans this Wednesday, after learning that the Commission is considering to downgrade its original ambition regarding upcoming regulation on ticketing....Read more
Rail market opening and Belgium: time for a discussion
While in Belgium SNCB is scheduled to receive a renewed concession for the next 10 years, the course from the European Commission in Brussels is instead to bring about more market opening on the railways,...Read more