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REPORT (COM(2023)443 – C90304/2023 – 2023/0271(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Regulation on the use of railways infrastructure capacity in the single European railways area, amending Directive 2012/34/EU and repealing Regulation (EU) No 913/2010

A-9-2024-0069

Committee on Transport and Tourism · Rapporteur: Tilly Metz

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Parliament's amended version of the proposed regulation on using railways infrastructure capacity in the single European railway area lays down rules for capacity management, including strategic planning, allocation, and traffic management, and amends Directive 2012/34/EU and repealing Regulation (EU) No 913/2010. It aims to increase rail use and modal share, improve cross-border coordination, and introduce digital tools for capacity and traffic management. It strengthens the role of the European Network of Infrastructure Managers (ENIM), establishes a European Railway Platform (ERP) as a consultative body, and assigns new tasks to the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). It requires member states to provide stable multiannual funding for infrastructure and sets deadlines for implementing digital systems.

Committee position. The Committee on Transport and Tourism proposes to amend the Commission proposal, reinforcing obligations for alternatives, introducing a European Railway Platform, and setting more ambitious implementation timelines.

Key points

  1. The regulation applies to the Union rail system and use of railway infrastructure for domestic and international services, with exclusions possible under Directive 2012/34/EU.
  2. Infrastructure managers must aim to increase rail's modal share and ensure seamless, punctual cross-border traffic, considering socio-economic and environmental impacts.
  3. Member states must provide stable, timely multiannual funding for maintenance, renewal, and new construction via performance agreements of at least five years.
  4. Infrastructure managers must consult applicants and other stakeholders during strategic capacity planning, and regulatory bodies can require amendments to capacity strategies and models.
  5. Capacity allocation must be fair and non-discriminatory, with priority to requests consistent with pre-planned capacity, and alternatives offered where possible.
  6. Framework agreements must be notified to and approved by the regulatory body, and maximum shares of capacity allocated through them must be set.
  7. A European Railway Platform (ERP) is established as a consultative body to ENIM, composed of railway undertakings, applicants, and other stakeholders.
  8. ERA is assigned new tasks, including supporting the Commission in preparing acts and coordinating digital systems, with funding from unallocated MFF margins.
  9. Digital tools for capacity and traffic management must be implemented by specific deadlines, including a European capacity management tool and path coordination system.
  10. Regulatory bodies must cooperate through ENRRB, which assesses European frameworks and issues opinions, and infrastructure managers must justify deviations.
  11. The regulation applies to working timetables entering into force after 8 December 2027, with some articles applying from earlier dates.

Who is affected

  • Infrastructure managers: must follow new capacity management procedures, consult stakeholders, and justify deviations.
  • Railway undertakings and applicants: can request capacity in a single place, with alternatives offered when requests are refused.
  • Member states: must provide stable funding and coordinate strategic guidance.
  • Operators of service facilities: must cooperate with infrastructure managers and provide real-time capacity information.
  • European Union Agency for Railways (ERA): gains new tasks in supporting implementation and coordinating digital systems.

Figures and deadlines

  • 12,000 km: railway network shrank between 1990 and 2021.
  • 50% increase in rail freight by 2030 and double by 2050.
  • High-speed rail traffic double by 2030 and triple by 2050.
  • 1.25 times: compensation value for systematic train paths.
  • 15 days: duration of disruption triggering incident report.
  • 30 days: time to prepare incident report after disruption.
  • 1 July 2025: deadline for European capacity management tool.
  • 1 January 2026: deadline for path coordination system.

Legal basis: Article 294(2) and Article 91 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union