ERFA - European Rail Freight Association

ERFA welcomes the European Court of Auditors’ ERTMS report, stating that ERTMS has not been properly planned, deployed and managed, and that the individual business case for the parties involved have not been considered.

The lack of a business case for today’s railway undertakings, who will face the costs, but very little of the benefits of ERTMS, should be addressed as a priority.

ERFA welcomes the key report recommendations for a thorough assessment of the costs, coordinated and legally binding dates for decommissioning national signalling systems and the improved targeting of EU funding for cross-border sections and locomotives involved in international traffic.

Last week a new proposal for the regulation on EU rail passengers’ rights and obligations was released by the European Commission.

ALLRAIL stresses that better access to rail travel information should become a passenger right.

While ALLRAIL welcomes the new Regulation, our press release highlights how the travel information proposals will jeopardise further growth in above Rail competition.

ERFA welcomes the decision, adopted yesterday, by the European Commission to fine the Lithuanian incumbent rail company for an unprecedented case of anti-competitive behaviour that took place in 2008.

Such anti-competitive behaviour jeopardises efforts to shift more goods onto rail and to build a more competitive rail sector.

ERFA underlines the need for greater efforts on the part of Member States to support a competitive European rail sector.

We also encourage the European Commission to pursue without delay other anti-competitive cases in the rail sector.

ERFA with 28 other European and national-based associations co-signed an open letter addressed to: Commissioner Bulc, 28 EU Transport Ministers, Swiss Transport Minister, Rail Freight Corridors and Executive Director of ERA. 

The Rastatt disaster led to chaos and wide-reaching economic damage. It is vital rail wins back customer confidence.

The closure of a small stretch of line exposed the weaknesses of the rail sector in the transport logistics chain.

The open letter calls for progress to be made in achieving a more international approach to rail freight services. An international corridor management and the international coordination of works is at the heart of this.

New legislation, adopted yesterday, paves the way for basic provisions to root out anti-competitive practices and to strengthen the role of the rail facilities market in boosting rail’s growth. The role of rail regulators in supporting a competitive facilities market will be crucial.

At the first annual IRG Rail Forum ERFA gave an overview of the Rail

Freight Corridors from a freight RUs perspective.

The concerns of RUs were presented, highlighting the lack of joint agreement on performance indicators among IMs; the limited coordination on infrastructure works and investments and the lack of provision of appropriate alternatives during TCRs.

The EU legislation establishing the rail freight corridors is too weak on performance objectives and the voluntary initiatives undertaken are not legally binding, limiting the progress of the corridors.

Market oriented KPIs and data would improve the efficiency of the Corridors, potentially attracting more customers and so becoming more attractive to investments. 

Last but not least we need much more coordination and cooperation among IMs. Contingency plans, coordination of works along the lines, alternative routes in case of disruption. We need to be prepared in emergency situations..and to learn lessons from RASTATT!

Rail customers are losing patience….all the efforts made in the past could be for nothing if the RFCs do not make significant progress in performance.

Erich Forster presented ALLRAIL's work programme in the Brandenburg representation in Brussels.

He highlighted ALLRAIL's priorities to reform the rail sector in order to improve the quality, the performance and the attractiveness of rail services in Europe.

The joint dialogue between the Railway Undertakings (RU), the Infrastructure Managers (PRIME) fora took place on the 28th March in Brussels. Chaired by the European Commission, the objective was to discuss several issues in order to find a common understanding and common solutions to addressed them.

ERFA and ERFA members actively participated to the discussions.

ERFA held its Annual event on the 7th March in Brussels, with Gert-Jan Koopman, EU Commission’s Deputy Director General for State Aid at DG Competition. The event was dedicated to the actions needed to deliver further market opening in Europe. Rail newcomers are often frustrated in their efforts to set up new routes and offer new types of services.

The ERFA General Assembly Meeting took place on the 7th March in Brussels. This event was an opportunity to discuss political and technical issues with ERFA members and to collect their inputs and concerns.

As a market orientated driver, ERFA relies on the contribution of its members to define its strategy and priorities.

On the same day, Lindsay Durham (Freightliner Group) has been elected ERFA President. Markus Vaerst (Cargo Rail Europe) has been appointed as ERFA Vice-President.

ALLRAIL, the association of independent passenger and freight rail companies, asks the European Commission to take urgent action against the Slovak Government (Slovak Ministry of Transportation) and the Slovak Transport Authority, which are seeking to block a new international passenger service between Bratislava and Prague planned by the ALLRAIL member Regiojet.

ERFA, representing new entrants in the rail market highlights two deadlines in July, which are important steps forward in moving rail towards a more competitive and cost-effective sector.

• The first deadline concerns the removal of more than 11 000 national rules, which heavily contribute to a fragmented and more costly rail market. ERFA fully supports the role of the European Union Railway Agency, ERA, in analysing, reviewing and removing all unnecessary and redundant national rules.
• The second deadline concerns the transparency of how access charges are calculated and passed on to railway undertakings. Rail regulators will for the first time have the opportunity to scrutinise how the costs are calculated and to check whether railway undertakings are paying too much.

ALLRAIL welcomes the judgement of the European Court of Justice and the decision of the Dutch Regulatory Body (ACM) as two important steps forward towards a competitive rail market in Europe.

ALLRAIL, the Alliance of Rail New Entrants, believes that any public financing of public service rail contracts (PSOs) in Europe should benefit the passenger, taxpayer and the rail sector as a whole. In 2016 the European Commission stated that any resources used from an EU-financing program to fund passenger rolling stock have to be invested in the most reasonable manner and must have an overall positive impact both on the competitiveness and the development of the sector. In order to maintain these principles, it recommended obligatory tendering for PSO contracts IF government funding for rolling stock is included.

ERFA welcomes the European Commission’s Mobility Package as an important opportunity to foster a more competitive, cleaner and safer transport system. It is an important step forward in creating the right price signals and conditions for customers to choose the most sustainable modes of transport.

ERFA welcomes the European Court of Auditors’ ERTMS report, stating that ERTMS has not been properly planned, deployed and managed, and that the individual business case for the parties involved have not been considered.

The lack of a business case for today’s railway undertakings, who will face the costs, but very little of the benefits of ERTMS, should be addressed as a priority.

ERFA welcomes the key report recommendations for a thorough assessment of the costs, coordinated and legally binding dates for decommissioning national signalling systems and the improved targeting of EU funding for cross-border sections and locomotives involved in international traffic.

Last week a new proposal for the regulation on EU rail passengers’ rights and obligations was released by the European Commission.

ALLRAIL stresses that better access to rail travel information should become a passenger right.

While ALLRAIL welcomes the new Regulation, our press release highlights how the travel information proposals will jeopardise further growth in above Rail competition.

ERFA welcomes the decision, adopted yesterday, by the European Commission to fine the Lithuanian incumbent rail company for an unprecedented case of anti-competitive behaviour that took place in 2008.

Such anti-competitive behaviour jeopardises efforts to shift more goods onto rail and to build a more competitive rail sector.

ERFA underlines the need for greater efforts on the part of Member States to support a competitive European rail sector.

We also encourage the European Commission to pursue without delay other anti-competitive cases in the rail sector.

ERFA with 28 other European and national-based associations co-signed an open letter addressed to: Commissioner Bulc, 28 EU Transport Ministers, Swiss Transport Minister, Rail Freight Corridors and Executive Director of ERA. 

The Rastatt disaster led to chaos and wide-reaching economic damage. It is vital rail wins back customer confidence.

The closure of a small stretch of line exposed the weaknesses of the rail sector in the transport logistics chain.

The open letter calls for progress to be made in achieving a more international approach to rail freight services. An international corridor management and the international coordination of works is at the heart of this.

New legislation, adopted yesterday, paves the way for basic provisions to root out anti-competitive practices and to strengthen the role of the rail facilities market in boosting rail’s growth. The role of rail regulators in supporting a competitive facilities market will be crucial.