ERA
ERFA enjoys a close working relationship with the European Union Agency for Railways ( ERA), whose main tasks are to enhance interoperability and establish a common approach to safety for Europe’s railways.
ERFA, as a recognised Representative Body, is invited by ERA and the European Commission to shape the development of the Single European Railway Area. The Representative Body status gives ERFA a seat on the ERA Management Board and the right to take part in working groups.
RU Dialogue
The Railway Undertakings (RUs) Dialogue offers a forum for regular and open dialogue between Rail Undertakings, the European Commission and the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA).
The European Commission organises 2 plenary sessions per year in Brussels.
Once per year a joint session is organised between the RU Dialogue and the Infrastructure Manager equivalent, PRIME.
There are currently 3 RU subgroups, chaired by the Brussels associations and open to all RUs from across Europe
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Implementing Acts Chaired by ERFA
Working with RUs to develop European legislation on access to facilities and the Economic Equilibrium Test -
International Freight Chaired by CER
Identifying and promoting solutions for common problems to international rail freight transport -
Passenger Chaired by CER
Developing the market for growing domestic and international passenger rail services. Market opening and ticketing are two key issues.
If you would like to join the RU Dialogue discussions please get in touch with us and we will send you the relevant details for registering.
GRB - Group of Representative Bodies
As an official Representative Body ERFA regularly consults and cooperates with other sector association Representative Bodies.
ERFA actively participates in a range of formal platforms, which bring together actors from across the rail sector, to coordinate the sector’s input and support the regulatory process.
The Group of Representative Bodies (GRB) is a grouping of railway associations in Europe with the role of supporting, in a transverse way, the rail sector’s input to the European Railway Agency (ERA) work programme and its effect on safety and interoperability.
The focus of the GRB work is on:
- Cross sector coordination
- ERA
- Standardisation
- Research
- ERTMS
More information can be found on the GRB website grbrail.eu
GCU - General Contract of Use
In 2006, following the liberalisation of the rail freight market, ERFA, UIP and UIC created the General Contract of Use for Wagons.
It is a multilateral single contract between those operating wagons and those owning wagons, specifying the mutual rights and obligations in order to allow cross-border activities.
Since its start, the GCU has grown to an impressive network of more than 600 signatories across 20 countries, with more than 600,000 wagons currently declared in the GCU wagon database.
A very good example of simple, but effective solutions, which the rail sector is able to develop when it cooperates. In other words, a success.
A simple video to illustrate what the GCU is all about
More information about the GCU www.gcubureau.org