ERFA urges for an ERTMS implementation strategy that reduces costs and risks and ensures improved competitiveness of rail services from Day 1.

In reforming the management of railways priority must be given to making rail a more attractive transport mode both for customers and for investment in the sector. Ahead 8th September Council meeting ERFA opposes provisions that continue to allow anti-competitive behaviour, harming the quality of existing rail services as well as detering new investment into the rail sector.

Ahead of the Council Working Party meeting of 16th July ERFA urges for the creation of a one stop shop for all infrastructure-related issues and for assurances that the fragmentation of the Infrastructure functions will not lead to increased costs for the rail system.

Ahead of an important Council Working party meeting on 9th July ERFA raises concerns over new provisions that take rail away from growth-orientated reform.

ERFA has prepared a user-friendly guide to all the new measures that come into force on 16th June 2015 and that Member States are expected to have already transposed into national law. ERFA relies on the Member States to ensure timely and effective implementation of the Recast Directive and on the European Commission to take action where there are delays or breaches of the implementation.

ERFA supports open markets that can promote sustainability and be an opportunity for customers, employees and society. The 4th Railway Package aims at enhancing the railway system in the interest of society and the environment.

ERFA fully supports the rail growth targets from the 2011 Transport White Paper, but wants to see more concrete action from the European Commission and Member States in order to achieve them.

ERFA urges the proposals on emission standards for rail not to be set in a vacuum, disconnected from the realities of the conditions necessary for incentivising growth in the rail sector.

In reaction to the latest version of the new compromises on the 4th Railway Package ERFA raises concerns over weakened independence requirements of the infrastructure manager and urges caution over the "association" of railway undertakings in traffic management.

In a letter co-signed with Europe-wide representatives of freight forwarders, shippers, passengers, rail-road operators and environmental organisations ERFA calls on Member States to push through important changes on the Market Pillar of the 4th Railway Package.  

ERFA, together with CLECAT, European Passengers Federation, European Shippers Council, Mofair and UIRR, has published an open letter urging EU Transport Ministers to pursue much-needed changes to the rail sector via the political pillar of the 4th Railway Package.