Portugal: unions and private firms pick at €20 rail pass
Last month, the prime minister of Portugal announced the launch of a new 20 euro monthly rail ticket, dubbed the Green Rail Pass. The deal will allow passengers…
Ukrainian Railway workers secure food packages thanks to international initiative
An additional 7,500 food packages have been distributed to Ukrainian railway workers. The donations have come from a collaborative effort. Partners include the Trade Union of Railwaymen and…
DB Navigator app accused of not selling European Sleeper tickets
The Deutsche Bahn (DB) Navigator app does not display services offered by the independent night-train operator, European Sleeper. The Dutch-Belgian start-up will turn to the German Federal Cartel…
RailTech Europe ’24: Netherlands on collision course with EU over market liberalisation in rail
RailtechOn Thursday, March 7, at 11:15 a.m., the gloves will come off and proponents and opponents of market forces in rail will discuss all the possibilities and impossibilities,…
Interview
RailTech Europe ’24: Challenges to market liberalisation in The European Union
As one of the 12 recognized rail associations representing the rail industry at a European level, the non-governmental organisation ALLRAIL, the ‘Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants in…
German court rules against DB in rail ticketing lawsuit filed by Flix
In a significant legal development, the Hamburg Regional Court has handed down a judgement recognising the dominant position of Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) in-house online rail ticket vendors. The…
European Commission urged to “show leadership” and develop a night train strategy
The Transport Ministers of Belgium, Austria and Luxembourg, as well as MEPs and numerous associations, call European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to act upon the recent…
Direct award to NS against European Commission’s wishes could prove costly, Dutch ministry admits
If the Netherlands goes through with awarding NS the main railway net concession without a tender process and the European court were to rule this illegitimate, the Dutch…
Eurostar and five more operators join the Agreement on Journey Continuation: what does it entail?
Six new railway undertakings, including Eurostar, have or will soon join the Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC). This multilateral agreement between European operators supports international rail passengers in…
Brightline launches Orlando service in Florida
Private US passenger operator Brightline launched services on its new Florida extension to Orlando this Friday. On 168 miles (270 kilometers) of new tracks, high-speed trains now run between…
Plan by SNCB and SNCF for new Paris-Brussels link raises eyebrows
SNCB and SNCF Voyageurs are studying the possibility of jointly setting up a new regular passenger service using conventional trains between Brussels and Paris by the end of…
Brussels takes aim at the Netherlands for planning direct award to NS
The European Commission is starting an infringement procedure against the Netherlands for “failing to correctly apply” EU regulations on public transport, the European body announced on Friday. The…
Czech Republic abolishes rail regulator amidst controversies, what’s going on?
The Czech government has supported a bill that will lead to the abolition of the independent Office for Access to Transport Infrastructure (ÚPDI), transferring its tasks to another…
Leading associations fear half-baked measures on EU ticketing regulation
10 European and international associations sent an open letter to European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans this Wednesday, after learning that the Commission is considering to downgrade its…
Rail market opening and Belgium: time for a discussion
While in Belgium SNCB is scheduled to receive a renewed concession for the next 10 years, the course from the European Commission in Brussels is instead to bring…