{"id":286740,"date":"2025-09-18T19:07:38","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T09:07:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=66022"},"modified":"2025-09-18T19:07:38","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T09:07:38","slug":"european-shippers-council-pushes-for-adoption-of-english-as-the-common-rail-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=286740","title":{"rendered":"European Shippers\u2019 Council pushes for adoption of English as the common rail language"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the main issues with interoperability in Europe regards language barriers between Member States and the lack of a universally adopted language. The European Shippers\u2019 Council (ESC) is now making a proposal that could solve the problem over the next 10 years.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>The ESC is suggesting that \u201cby 2035, infrastructure managers in the TEN-T core network should be required to employ dispatchers with at least a B2-level proficiency in English and to use standardised phraseology.\u201d This approach would ensure a smooth transition since it would be spread over a longer period of time, thus still allowing personnel who only speak their national language to continue to operate locally.<\/p>\n

TSI OPE revision<\/h2>\n

The Shippers\u2019 Council\u2019s position does not come out of the blue. They are supporting a petition with the same proposals presented by Georg Janke, managing director of Cargo Rail Solutions. Janke submitted his petition in the summer, asking for a revision of the Technical Specification for Interoperability Operation and Traffic Management, (TSI OPE). TSI OPE \u201capplies to the operation and traffic management subsystem of infrastructure managers and railway undertakings related to the operation of trains on the rail system of the European Union\u201d.<\/p>\n

The response of the European Commission (EC) arrived last month, leaving some room for hope. \u201cThe Commission is currently considering a revision of the EU rules on the certification of train drivers, and the issue of language requirements as raised by the petitioner will be examined in this context\u201d, it said. The current rule, set out in Directive 2007\/59\/EC, claims that drivers have to speak at least one of the languages of the rail network of the Member State on which they operate trains at B1 level. However, exceptions can be made for cross-border sections, for example, boosting fragmentation.<\/p>\n