Fourth Railway Package

The fourth railway package is a set of planned changes to rail transport regulation in the European Union.[1] It covers standards and authorisation for rolling stock; workforce skills; independent management of infrastructure; and the liberalisation of domestic passenger services in an attempt to reduce European rail subsidies.[2]

The fourth railway package is another attempt at reforming a rail sector still dominated by state-owned railway businesses that control both the tracks and the trains; they have repeatedly resisted attempts to separate the two parts of the business, which would supposedly allow more competition. In particular, the fourth railway package's has been watered down; instead of requiring infrastructure and train operations to be completely separate businesses, it permits them to be owned by a single holding company.[3][4] The "compliance verification clause" could allow regulators to place sanctions on parts of a vertically integrated rail business which place obstacles in the way of competitors trying to provide services on their network; this would improve competition.[5]

Responsibility for authorising rolling stock to use a network would be shifted away from network owners and towards the European Railway Agency; this is expected to be faster and cheaper.[6]

In 2015, the technical and political pillars of the package were accepted by EU transport ministers and currently the European Commission, Parliament and Council are negotiating to reach an agreement on the text of the regulations.[7][8] The technical pillar of the fourth railway package has been adopted by the European Commission and approved by the European Parliament in April 2016.[9]


See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "Fourth Railway Package: lifting market entry barriers to improve passenger services". European Parliament News. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Compliance Verification Clause unlocks the Fourth Railway Package". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "Does Europe want Germany to run all its railways?". Lloyd's Loading list. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "Gdynia attacks north European gateways while EU fudges rail package". The Loadstar. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "EC unveils draft Fourth Railway Package". International Railway Journal. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
  6. ↑ "The Fourth Railway Package" (PDF). European Union. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Ministers agree on political pillar of Fourth Railway Package".
  8. ↑ "TRAN Committee approves technical pillar of Fourth Railway Package".
  9. ↑ Railway Gazette (28 Apr 2016). "European Parliament approves Fourth Railway Package technical pillar". Retrieved 7 Sep 2016.
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