An effort to liberalize European rail service, including a proposed separation of track managers and train operators, was the focus of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism this week.
The committee discussed the Fourth Railway Package at a day-long hearing in Brussels, which was attended by transport experts, systems operators, infrastructure managers, manufacturers, and freight, passenger and employee representatives. The EU’s package is looking to boost competition by ending the practice of integrated companies dominating both the rail network and the trains that use it, opening up the rails to new operators. The proposal also would implement a single, EU-wide certification process for railway cars and locomotives—a move proponents say would help the industry by saving both time and money.
