Head of Eurostar: use aviation tax to reduce track access charges
Eurostar boss Jacques Damas is calling for an aviation tax, the proceeds of which will be used to reduce the costs to use rail infrastructure. In this way,…
2.5 billion German rail support approved
The European Commission has given the green light for 2.5 billion euro state aid of the German government to support the rail sector in the coming years. The…
Monopoly commission: separate Deutsche Bahn’s infrastructure from operation
The current structure of Deutsche Bahn group is not appropriate for the planned increase of capital with 7.5 billion in favour of DB, says the German monopolies commission.…
‘Post-covid future of international trains looks bright’
The number of Thalys and Eurostar passengers, both of which were recently rescued with loans, were on the rise before the corona crisis hit. There are many opportunities…
Rail sector: continue track access charging measures for six more months
Railway associations want to prolong the regulation allowing to waive, reduce or defer track access charges in the face of Covid-19. The regulation would last until the end…
Germany wants to almost nullify track access charges
Germany has proposed to continue the reduction of track access charges until the end of 2021. Interestingly, the charges will almost be nullified; from the current 50 per…
How Latvia segments the railway market for infrastructure charging
There are different ways in which countries determine segments on the rail market for infrastructure charging. LatRailNet, the Latvian charging body, organised a webinar on 17 March on…
‘Night trains are hindered by high track access charges’
COLUMN – The economic viability of night trains will be insecure if no action is taken on the track access charges. The struggle of Eurostar to keep its…
‘Track access charges are too high for new entrants in rail’
In recent decades, huge investments were done in Europe for the construction of high-speed lines. National networks of thousands of kilometers of track have been built. “Now the…
Poland refrains from increase track access charges next year
The Polish infrastructure manager PKP PLK has withdrawn its request to increase track access charges of the network in 2022. As a result, the fees for accessing the…
Belgium reduces track access charges until end of June 2021
The Belgian government has announced to financially support the rail freight industry. Until 30 June, a reduced tariff applies for freight trains, and cancellation and reservation costs are…
UIC: costs of reducing railway noise could hinder modal shift
To reduce noise pollution from railways, infrastructure managers and operators are taking drastic measures for those living near the tracks. The high costs for additional noise measures could…
Adif awards 6.9 million contract for new Sitra+ traffic control system
Spanish infrastructure manager Adif has awarded the contract for the supply and installation of the traffic regulation system Sitra+ on wednesday. The system has numerous advantages for traffic…
How do EU countries apply infrastructure performance schemes?
EU countries have common approaches to the way delays on railways are penalised. The so-called performance regimes, part of the infrastructure charging system, appear to be more similar…
Eurostar in ‘fight for survival’, calls for urgent financial support to survive Covid-19
The Eurostar and high speed rail urgently need financial support from the UK government to get through the corona crisis. This is what Eurostar CEO Jacques Damas and…