Commission welcomes political agreement on new rules to optimise the use of rail capacity

The European Commission welcomes the political agreement reached yesterday on the regulation on the use of railway infrastructure capacity.  

Rail tracks are expensive to build and increasingly congested in the EU. The new regulation will optimise their use, improve cross-border coordination, increase punctuality and reliability, and ultimately attract more passengers and goods to rail.  

Passengers will benefit from additional and more frequent rail services as the capacity of the network will be better used, including across borders.  

Following the political agreement, the European Parliament and the Council will now formally adopt the regulation, which will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU. The railway sector will immediately begin implementing the new regulatory framework, by starting their multiannual strategic planning. The first timetable will enter into effect in December 2030. 

Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said: ‘This agreement is excellent news for both passengers and businesses. By making better use of Europe’s rail capacity, we can meet the different needs of the sector: reliable timetables, booking tickets well in advance for travellers, and more flexible, just-in-time operations for freight. It is a major step towards a more efficient and competitive European rail system.’

Background 

Current rules on capacity management are decided annually, nationally and manually. This does not favour cross-border traffic - in particular for rail freight, where around 50% of traffic crosses borders. The future, harmonised approach will reduce delays at borders and supports the smooth functioning of the single market.  

The new rules will complement the ongoing work under the EU’s new High-speed rail plan, contributing to better and faster train connections across Europe.