The German rail sector is heading into a pivotal lawsuit that could decide the future of the country’s track access charges (TAC) policy. Eleven rail companies are suing the Bundesnetzagentur following a planned 16,2 per cent TAC increase. According to them, a federal political deal to shield local passenger rail is hurting other sectors and…
Category: Policy
Do EU citizens know what’s at stake with the EU’s transport policies?
The rail industry has vehemently opposed the Commission’s Weights and Dimensions Directive (WDD), which would allow gigaliners or mega trucks to dominate the European transport sector price-wise and capacity-wise. Apart from the industry, however, such policies also concern the public, considering they could heavily impact life quality in many ways. Is the European public aware…
German rail companies start lawsuit after planned 16,2% TAC increase
Eleven German rail companies are going to court over an approved 16,2 per cent track-access charge (TAC) increase. The new TAC rate would go into force from mid-December, but the eleven companies are now aiming to prevent that from happening. The approved 16,2 per cent TAC increase would be a bigger jump than all increases…
Proof of Concept for paperless transport to be expected this fall
The deployment of electronic freight transport information (eFTI), is one of the pillars of the EU’s attempt to decarbonise the freight industry. The policy aims at digitalising freight transport documents, most of which are still currently circulating in a physical form. RailFreight.com had a chat with Eva Killar, Head of Mobility Development and Investments Department…
Twenty years of EU membership: What has it brought Polish rail freight?
Poland, alongside nine other countries, has been a member of the European Union for 20 years. EU membership brought with it many investments, which also benefited Polish rail infrastructure. The 166 billion Polish złoty (27 billion euros) in investments have transformed Polish railways, says national rail operator PKP. PKP reviewed the contribution of “huge funds”…
Short-term TAC hikes put transport contracts under strain
In a bid to combat the crippling impact of skyrocketing track access charges, European rail operators are calling for urgent short-term support measures. The clarion call comes amidst a flurry of criticism following Germany’s recent hefty price hike program, among others. Apart from Germany, which will increase TACs by 16 per cent, Sweden and Portugal…
Short-term TAC hikes put transport contracts under strain
In a bid to combat the crippling impact of skyrocketing track access charges, European rail operators are calling for urgent short-term support measures. The clarion call comes amidst a flurry of criticism following Germany’s recent hefty price hike program, among others. Apart from Germany, which will increase TACs by 16 per cent, Sweden and Portugal…
ERFA: “EU’s Greening Freight Package lacks a coherent strategy”
The EU’s Greening Freight Package is the bloc’s flagship policy package for decarbonisation in the transport sector. It looks to decrease emissions in European transport by 90 per cent in 2050. However, the package is not all sunshine and rainbows. Many disagreements about its content remain and the future of the package depends on the…
New TEN-T: TENtec guidelines are out, timetable is still missing
One of the aims of the new TEN-T Regulation is to harmonise communication between EU Member States and European institutions. To do this, the TENtec system is being developed. When fully functional, the system is expected to speed up the exchange of information and accelerate the compiling of reports and maps of the corridors. However,…