Press releases
New through-tickets between Kyiv (Ukraine) and Prague (Czech Republic)
Privately owned railway operator and ALLRAIL member RegioJet and Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) have created a new through-ticket between Prague (Czech Republic) and Kyiv (Ukraine).
The single through-ticket will cover the entire journey between the Czechian and Ukrainian capital cities, via Przemyśl (Poland).
Air travel chaos in Europe: Rail can help
Passengers wishing to take off from European airports are currently experiencing massive disruptions caused by a toxic mix of price hikes, long delays and large-scale flight cancellations. This demonstrates that the aviation sector is unable to cope with the sudden return of demand.
It is time to end competition between rail and air, and for the aviation sector to transfer their short-haul flights to the train. Rail travel is a stress-free and eco-friendly way to travel around Europe.
Passenger rail has room to grow to satisfy the higher demand, and it can grow even quicker if EU and national stakeholders provide additional immediate support to railway operators for setting up new services.
Such support must help alleviate the high initial costs faced by new entrants when setting up new services, in addition to increasing energy prices.
Memorandum of Understanding on the study ‘Smart and Affordable High-Speed Services in the European Union’ signed on 29 June 2022
In the context of the French Presidency of the European Union, the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), the Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants in Europe (ALLRAIL), the European Rail Supply Industry (UNIFE) and the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-RAIL), took place in presence of Walter Goetz, Head of Cabinet of the European Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean, during the Connecting Europe Days in Lyon on 29 June 2022.
The objective of the Memorandum of Understanding is a study on ‘Smart and Affordable High-Speed Services in the European Union’. The event was the perfect occasion for the European railway and transport community to acknowledge the importance of research and to officially launch the collaboration for the study that will serve as a hub for knowledge exchange.
Travel and rail industry partner with civil society calling on policy makers to shift to rail
ALLRAIL, along with other European actors of the rail and travel sector, rail industry, civil society, passengers associations call on European Institutions and Member states to take bold actions now to achieve a climate-friendly transport system by 2030.
The “Connecting Europe Days” event of 2022 – It is not possible to have a seamless European Rail Area if you still need a separate agreement in each country
The “Connecting Europe Days”, Europe’s flagship event to promote a single transport network, will begin today in Lyon.
But the facts tell a different story: If we want a seamless European rail network, why is it still necessary for passenger rail operators to find a partner each time they cross an internal EU border? This undermines the point of a Single Rail Area.
Hindering Fair Access to 2nd Hand Rolling Stock Will Weaken Commercially Driven Long Distance Cross-border Passenger Rail in Europe, Leading to Unnecessary Public Service Obligations (PSOs)
The EU Commission (‘EC’) announced that it had come to the preliminarily conclusion that the state-owned rail incumbents Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and Czech Railways (ČD) breached EU competition rules by colluding to hinder access to used 2nd hand rolling stock for the commercially driven new entrant cross-border passenger rail operator RegioJet.
But there is a further implication: if the EC’s allegations are true - then hindering access to 2nd hand rolling stock is being used to engineer market failure. New entrant operators are then less able to start commercially driven services, because they are not getting fair access to wagons, and there is very little alternative supply.
Consequently, such engineered ‘Market Failure’ will lead to unnecessary taxpayer-funded Public Service Obligations (PSOs) in long distance cross-border rail.
The HUGE Mistake In the EU Action Plan To Boost Long-distance & Cross-Border Passenger Rail
It is with disbelief that independent passenger rail operators note how, in the EU Parliament Transport Committee’s Draft Report of the EU Action Plan to boost long-distance & cross-border passenger rail, a HUGE mistake is being made – by promoting more Public Service Obligations (PSOs). Public Service Obligations (PSOs) for EU long distance cross-border rail have failed in the recent past – and they will fail again.
Therefore, we urge the Members of the EU Parliament’s Transport Committee (TRAN) to make urgent changes to their Draft Report on the EU Action Plan - for the sake of the growth in the international rail sector and meeting the goals of the EU Green Deal.
ALLRAIL réaffirme son soutien à Railcoop après le report du lancement de sa première ligne voyageurs
Railcoop, entreprise ferroviaire sous statut coopératif et membre d'ALLRAIL, a annoncé, dans un communiqué de presse, le report du lancement de son premier service ferroviaire pour voyageurs entre Bordeaux et Lyon (dans le cadre des services librement organisés), initialement prévu pour décembre 2022.
Le cas de Railcoop démontre une fois de plus l'existence d'un enjeu majeur de mobilisation des acteurs tant financiers qu'industriels pour soutenir le développement de services ferroviaires innovants dans le cadre de l'ouverture du marché ferroviaire en Europe. ALLRAIL prend acte de ce report, réaffirme son soutien à Railcoop, et déplore que les grands perdants de ce report soient les citoyens, les collectivités locales, le tissu économique et in fine l'environnement.
ALLRAIL reaffirms its support to Railcoop after postponement of its first passenger services
The independent co-operative rail operator and ALLRAIL member Railcoop has announced that it is postponing the launch of its first commercially driven passenger rail services between Bordeaux & Lyon, planned for December 2022.
Railcoop’s case demonstrates once more the existence of a major challenge to mobilise both financial and industrial actors to support the development of innovative rail services within the framework of market opening in Europe. The biggest losers of this postponement are citizens, local authorities, the economy of the affected French regions, and ultimately the environment.
State incumbents fail at cross-border high speed rail – unless they compete with each other
Thalys, the rail operator belonging to both French and Belgian state-owned incumbents (SNCF & SNCB/NMBS), has once again shown that it is unable to maximise the potential of cross-border high speed rail.
It is now closing down its in-house low-cost high-speed operator Izy, which was occasionally allowed to offer lower fares on the same Paris-Brussels route as the parent brand. Coming just weeks after the merger of Thalys and Eurostar was approved, high speed rail passengers in North-West Europe are now destined for higher fares and fewer departures. It is bad news for modal shift to rail.
Getting The Grain Out Of Ukraine
Ukraine is known as the “breadbasket of Europe” and is one of the top grain exporters, crucial to providing nourishment & preventing famine in many other parts of the world. Due to the unprovoked invasion by Russia, there are currently 20 million tonnes of grain languishing in Ukrainian storage facilities. It needs to urgently get out to the world market, in order to increase the supply that will then lead to price reductions.
The railway/railroad must now take on an essential role in bringing Ukrainian agricultural goods via neighbouring EU countries to Europe and the rest of the world.
This is why the Support Ukraine Rail Task Force urges all rail market players both in Europe & around the world to participate in the EU Commission’s new “Solidarity Lanes” initiative with measures to facilitate the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
Spendenaufruf: Unterstützen Sie die Eisenbahnhelden in dieser Krise
Die Eisenbahn ist in dieser Krise die Lebensader für Flüchtlinge, Medikamente und andere humanitäre Hilfe. Bereits mehr als 100 EisenbahnerInnen sind bei ihrem Einsatz für die Aufrechterhaltung des Bahnbetriebs gestorben. Darüber hinaus wurde in der vergangenen Woche berichtet, dass Russland seine Angriffe auf die Eisenbahn verstärkt und damit die Anbindung der Ukraine an die Außenwelt ins Visier nimmt – ein weiteres Beispiel dafür, wie gefährdet der Eisenbahnsektor ist!
Deshalb bieten wir Ihnen jetzt die Möglichkeit, die Eisenbahnhelden in dieser Krise direkt zu unterstützen.
Dabei arbeiten wir zusammen mit der globalen Wohltätigkeitsorganisation United Way (unitedway.org), ihrem deutschen Zweig PHINEO (phineo.org) und dessen Ukraine-Programm WE-AID (we-aid.org).
Weitere Informationen zu den Spendenmöglichkeiten finden Sie in der Pressemitteilung, indem Sie auf den folgenden Link klicken.
Dieser Spendenaufruf wurde von der Multinational Support Ukraine Rail Task Force veröffentlicht, einer Partnerschaft von führenden Vertretern der weltweiten Eisenbahnindustrie unter dem Vorsitz von Jolene Molitoris, der ehemaligen Generaldirektorin der US-Eisenbahnbehörde Federal Rail Administration.
(United States) Call for donations: support Ukraine’s Rail Heroes in this crisis
The Ukraine Railroad is the lifeline for refugees, medicine, food and other humanitarian aid. Already more than 100 rail workers have died keeping the railroad running. Earlier this week, Russia bombed five railroad stations in central and western Ukraine, killing people and causing disruption - another example of how vulnerable this life-saving rail service is!
This is why we are now offering the chance to directly support all of the railway heroes! We are working together with the global charitable organisation United Way (unitedway.org), its German branch PHINEO (phineo.org/en) and its Ukraine program WE-AID to provide targeted help to the Ukrainian Railroad.
Further information on how to donate can be found in the press release by clicking on the link below.
This call for donations has been issued by the Multinational Support Ukraine Rail Task Force, a partnership of leaders from the worldwide rail industry chaired by Jolene Molitoris, former US Federal Railroad Administrator.
(Europe) Call for donations: Help the Ukrainian railway heroes in this crisis
The Ukrainian rail system is the lifeline for refugees, medicine, food and other humanitarian aid. Already more than 80 rail workers have died keeping the railroad running. After all, only today it was reported how Russia is intensifying its attacks on railways, taking aim at Ukraine's connection to the outside world.
We are now offering you the chance to directly support all of the Ukrainian railroad heroes! We are working together with the global charitable organisation United Way, its German branch PHINEO and its Ukraine program WE-AID to provide targeted help to the Ukrainian rail sector.
Further information on how to donate can be found in the press release by clicking on the link below.
This call for donations has been issued by the Multinational Support Ukraine Rail Task Force, a partnership of leaders from the worldwide rail industry chaired by Jolene Molitoris, former US Federal Railroad Administrator.
German Federal Cartel Office comes to the preliminary conclusion that certain practices and contractual clauses of state owned rail incumbent Deutsche Bahn (DB) constitute an abuse of market power – this is extremely relevant for the rest of Europe
The German Federal Cartel Office today issued a press release calling for fair competition in digital mobility services - and how it has issued a warning to incumbent DB for possible obstruction of mobility platforms.
It has "come to the preliminary conclusion that certain practices and contractual clauses of DB vis-à-vis mobility platforms constitute an abuse of market power".
Mobility platforms offer innovative digital solutions for integrated route planning and ticket purchase, to help end the fragmentation of EU passenger rail.
Today's conclusion proves to ALLRAIL that, in addition to limiting modal shift to rail, such anti-competitive behaviour by dominant gatekeepers also undermines multi-modal solutions that have the potential to considerably reduce private car use.
European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM) joins multinational Support Ukraine Rail Task Force as an observer
This week, the European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM), has joined the newly set multinational "Support Ukraine Rail Task Force" as an observer. EIM is a non-profit association, representing the interests of European rail infrastructure managers in Europe, in particular vis-à-vis the EU institutions.
Two weeks ago, leading rail sector officials in Europe and the USA announced the formation of a Multinational “Support Ukraine Rail Task Force”, in partnership
with Ukrainian Railways "Ukrzaliznytsia" (UZ), the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ukrainian Cabinet. The aim is to coordinate technical, mechanical, and policy support for Ukrainian citizens and the rail sector.
The Multinational Support Ukraine rail task force is launched
Jolene Molitoris, former United States Federal Railroad Administrator, together with Nick Brooks, Secretary General of ALLRAIL, Ray Chambers, President of the American Association for Innovative Passenger Rail Operations (AIPRO) and Robert VanderClute, former Senior Vice President of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) & former Vice Chair of UIC, have announced the formation of the International Support Ukraine Rail Task Force.
The mission is to respond fully to the appeal of the Ukrainian national rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) urging the global rail sector to do everything in its power to support the Ukrainian rail sector after the unjustified Russian invasion and to completely isolate the Russian Railways (RZD) and Belarusian Railways from international commerce.
Russian invasion of Ukraine: humanitarian night train land bridge has started
The past week has shown European solidarity in action: passenger rail operators of all types are offering free transport to Ukrainians fleeing the terrible events in Ukraine.
Furthermore: one of the members of our association, the privately owned passenger rail operator RegioJet, has partnered with Ukrainian Railways, Člověk v tísni, ČD Cargo & Rail Cargo Group to provide a daily humanitarian night train land bridge between Prague and Kiev. The first service took place during the night of 1st March.
Russian invasion of Ukraine: why has the rail sector been less decisive than the airline sector?
There has been a contrast between the firm and decisive measures to strengthen trade restrictions against Russia in the airline sector compared to the rail sector. This is a surprise, considering the major role that the Russian rail operator RZD played in moving Putin’s military to Ukraine’s border over the recent months.
Railway sector comes together to mark official closure of European Year of Rail
Today, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), together with the Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants in Europe (ALLRAIL), the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (CLECAT), the European Passengers’ Federation (EPF), Erasmus by Train e.V. (EbT) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF), came together to formally close the European Year of Rail, on the occasion of the European Railway Summit organised within the framework of the French Presidency of the EU Council.
ALLRAIL online press conference (23rd September) – Passenger rail facing the second wave of COVID-19
Fair competition in the rail sector is crucial to securing EU climate change goals and sustainable recovery
Panelists: Erich Forster, President ALLRAIL & CEO WESTbahn
Christian Schreyer, Vice-President ALLRAIL & Transdev CEO for North & Central Europe
Nick Brooks, Secretary General ALLRAIL
Podcast: ALLRAIL members on The Comeback of Night Trains in Europe
• Aleš Ondrůj, Senior Director Communications, RegioJet
• Carl Adam Holmberg, Head of Snälltåget
• Nick Brooks, Secretary General ALLRAIL
• Barbora Mičková, Policy Officer ALLRAIL
-> Recorded 17th June 2020
Links:
• YouTube
• Podcast (Spotify)
Podcast: Passenger rail after COVID-19: Update from the Member States, YouTube & Podcast discussion
After COVID-19 webinar in April 2020 ALLRAIL issued a discussion on YouTube and Podcast channels.
First episode on the impact of COVID-19 on our members:
• YouTube - Key points (10min.)
• YouTube Full version (50min.)
• Podcast (Spotify)
• Podcast (Apple)
• Podcast (Google)
ALLRAIL presentation on international passenger rail transport: How to stimulate international passenger rail?
Arthur Kamminga presented ALLRAIL vision on the topic of "How to stimulate international passenger rail?" at the Hearing on European support for international passenger rail transport at the Commission for Mobility of the Belgian House of Representatives, taking place on 17th December 2019 at the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium.
Rail industry “has the capacity to save the day and make up for aviation’s failure”
Over the weeks and months we have seen many reports on the congestion problems faced at Europe’s airports. However, rail has the capacity to save the day and make up for aviation’s failure. ALLRAIL believes that passenger rail has room to grow in order to satisfy the higher demand. And it can grow even quicker – if EU and national stakeholders provide additional immediate support to railway operators for setting up new services.
Europe wants a high-speed rail network to replace airplanes
Together with the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), the European Rail Supply Industry (UNIFE) and the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-RAIL), ALLRAIL has committed to the study on ‘Smart and Affordable High-Speed Services in the European Union’. The study will highlight the numerous benefits of an expanded high-speed rail network connecting national capitals and major cities.
Smart & Affordable High Speed Services in the EU study planned
Railway industry associations (ALLRAIL, CER, UNIFE) and the Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking research programme have signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake a study into ‘Smart & Affordable High-Speed Services in the European Union’. The study will demonstrate the benefits of a radical transformation of the rail network to provide high speed services linking all major continental cities.
While other competing long distance transport modes are setting themselves net zero emission targets, ALLRAIL believes that rail can do it bigger and better: high speed trains with large capacities connecting places around Europe on a frequent basis will lead to low fares and high revenue. The outcomes of this study must enable high speed rail to become the backbone of long-distance travel in Europe.
Rail operators want to run more international trains, but where to get them?
With the European market increasingly opening up to private operators and with the comeback of night trains well underway, the availability of rolling stock has become a large obstacle, especially for open-access train operators.
According to Nick Brooks, secretary general of ALLRAIL, the rail market is being opened up but possible competitors are hindered by the unavailability of affordable rolling stock. This slows the natural growth of the rail market to grow the changes to increase its competitiveness, which can lead to unnecessary public service obligations, “meaning taxpayers pay for one operator to run trains, while that money could have been spent on better track infrastructure, for example”.
If regulations in order to increase the availability of second hand rail material are not put in place, little advantages can be achieved with a liberalised market. “The ultimate goal is for an operator, regardless where it’s from in the EU, to be able to operate across a border on its own without having to tackle a lot of regulations as soon as a train crosses a border. Then it won’t be necessary to tie up with another operator that has the expertise in another country.”.
Incumbent train operators may have colluded against new entrant, European Commission says
The European Commission has sent Czech and Austrian national operators ČD and ÖBB a statement of objections setting out its preliminary view that they may have colluded to prevent new entrant RegioJet acquiring second-hand passenger rolling stock for use on competing services.
According to ALLRAIL, the alliance of new entrants to the passenger market, the lack of access to second-hand vehicles is one of the biggest barriers preventing newcomers from starting commercially-driven open access services. With no functioning market for long distance coaches owned by incumbents, dominant players should be required to sell or rent underutilised vehicles to newcomers without preferential treatment for other incumbents or unnecessary scrapping.
ÖBB and ČD breached EU rules by blocking RegioJet from access to rolling stock
In a preliminary statement made by the Commission, Czech Railways ČD and the Austrian ÖBB boycotted RegioJet to keep the operator from access to used rolling stock between 2012 and 2016.
According to ALLRAIL, unlike in other transport sectors, access to second-hand vehicles is one of the biggest barriers to entry for newcomers and independent operators. There is no functioning market for used long-distance coaches that are currently under the ownership of state incumbents, due to their inherited position as the sole national operator.
Nick Brooks, Secretary General at AllRail will talk about the need for a better market for used rolling stock at the RailTech Europe conference on 23 June. Find more information and tickets here.
Goedkope internationale trein raakt maar niet op de rails
Na zes jaar stopt moederbedrijf Thalys met zijn goedkope internationale treindienst- Thalys Izy. Die rijdt, in tegenstelling tot Thalys zelf, deels op het klassieke spoornet, waardoor reizigers bij een enkele rit tussen de Belgische en Franse hoofdstad zowat een uur langer onderweg zijn dan met de hogesnelheidstrein.
Volgens Nick Brooks, de secretaris-generaal van ALLRAIL, die private spooroperatoren vertegenwoordigt, was Izy gedoemd the mislukken: "Izy geen belang had om klanten van het moederbedrijf af te snoepen. Zijn aanwezigheid maakte het voor onafhankelijke concurrenten wel moeilijker om op te starten."
Russian attacks on rail system fail to paralyse ‘lifeline of Ukraine’
This article by the leading global news agency Reuters reports how a group of current and former European and US railway executives formed the International Support Ukraine Rail Task Force in March 2022, in order to raise money for protective gear, first aid kits and financial aid for the Ukrainian rail sector and refugee trains. Our association ALLRAIL is an integral part of this Task Force.
DB warned over market abuse in digital mobility platforms
The German Federal Monopolies Commission has reached a preliminary conclusion that Deutsche Bahn has committed ‘an abuse of market power’ in relation to digital mobility platforms designed to offer passengers integrated route planning and ticket purchasing. Announcing this on April 20, the Commission said that it had issued DB with a warning for possible obstruction of mobility platforms.
ALLRAIL, the alliance of new entrants in the European rail market, said that the Commission’s preliminary conclusion proved that ‘in addition to limiting modal shift to rail, such anti-competitive behaviour by dominant gatekeepers also undermines multi-modal solutions that have the potential toconsiderably reduce private car use.’
Rail task force meets Ukraine rail execs, pledges support
Former Federal Railroad Administrator Jolene Molitoris, ALLRAIL Secretary General Nick Brooks and other International Support Ukraine Rail Task Force members this week held their first virtual meeting with Ukraine rail sector officials to learn how the U.S. and EU rail industry can help Ukrainians keep their country’s trains running even as the Russian military targets the railroad’s infrastructure and kills its employees.
Leading rail sector officials in Europe and the USA have today announced the formation of the Multinational “Support Ukraine Rail Task Force” in order to coordinate technical, mechanical, and policy support for Ukrainian freight and passenger rail companies
“Ukrainian Railways express its sincere gratitude to the leaders of the railway industry for their comprehensive support and efforts aimed at stabilizing and developing Ukrainian railway transport. Our company has always been and will be a powerful player in the railway market and by joint efforts of Ukraine, the EU and the US we will bring the industry to a qualitatively new level despite all the difficulties", – said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Chairman of the Board of Ukrainian Railways.
Посадовці та фахівці залізничного сектору США та Європи оголосили про створення багатонаціональної «Цільової групи з підтримки залізниць України»
Посадовці та провідні фахівці залізничного сектору Сполучених Штатів Америки та Європи оголосили про створення багатонаціональної «Цільової групи з підтримки залізниць України», яка опікуватиметься технічною та політичною підтримкою українських вантажних та пасажирських залізничних компаній.
«Укрзалізниця висловлює щиру подяку світовим лідерам залізничної галузі за всебічну підтримку та зусилля, спрямовані на стабілізацію та розвиток українського залізничного транспорту. Наша компанія завжди була і буде потужним гравцем на ринку залізничних перевезень, і спільними зусиллями України, ЄС та США ми виведемо залізничну галузь на якісно новий рівень попри всі негаразди», – наголосив голова правління АТ «Укрзалізниця» Олександр Камишін.
Global task force to support Ukrainian rail industry
Jolene Molitoris, former United States Federal Railroad Administrator, together with Nick Brooks, Secretary General of ALLRAIL, and Ray Chambers, President of the American Association for Innovative Passenger Rail Operations (AIPRO) have announced the formation of the International Support Ukraine Rail Task Force aimed at generating support for Ukraine and its rail sector in response to Russia's unprovoked attack on the country.
U.S. rail stakeholders partner with ALLRAIL to form International Support Ukraine Rail Task Force
A group of five freight and passenger rail stakeholders are partnering with the Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants in Europe (ALLRAIL) to launch an international task force focused on providing “a forum for government organizations and passenger and freight rail associations to discuss Russia’s aggressive invasion of Ukraine and the most effective ways to support the Ukrainian rail sector.”
Rail officials in USA and Europe set up task force to help Ukraine
Rail sector officials from Europe and the USA have banded together to help coordinate technical, mechanical, and policy support for Ukrainian freight and passenger companies.
The multinational “Support Ukraine Rail Task Force” sees Jolene Molitoris, former administrator of the US Federal Railroad Administration, joined by Nick Brooks, secretary general of the Alliance of Rail New Entrants in Europe (ALLRAIL); Ray Chambers, president of the American Association for Innovative Passenger Rail Operations (AIPRO) and Robert VanderClute, former Senior Vice President of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and former Vice Chair of UIC.
Euro-American task force to help Ukrainian railways
Rail industry officials in Europe and the United States have formed the multinational Support Ukraine Rail Task Force to coordinate technical, mechanical and policy support for Ukrainian rail freight and passenger companies.
The task force says there needs to be more trains collecting refugees from the Ukrainian border and the other hubs including Warsaw, Prague, Vienna and Frankfurt (Oder). An early objective will be to provide a forum for governmental organisations and passenger and rail freight associations to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the most effective ways to support the Ukrainian rail sector.
Un pont ferroviaire pour les réfugiés ukrainiens
Seule issue pour fuir la guerre après la suspension des vols des compagnies aériennes : la voie terrestre. Rapidement, des opérateurs ferroviaires ont mis en place une sorte de pont ferroviaire pour aider les populations à fuir les zones de conflit. Il s’agit notamment d’un train de nuit quotidien reliant Prague en République tchèque et Przemysl, à la frontière entre la Pologne et l’Ukraine, puis assurant le retour, toujours de nuit, acheminé par l’opérateur ferroviaire tchèque RegioJet.
War in Ukraine: exile on the railways
With the war in Ukraine having raged on for just over a week now, this edition of Midnight Weekly is shining a light on the pivotal role a number of train operators have played since the start of the conflict on February 24. European rail firms have mobilised to help evacuate civilians and victims of the war, carrying them off to lands untouched by the ravages of bombs and bullets.
To tell you all about it, we decided to hand over the mic to Nick Brooks, the secretary-general of ALLRAIL, the Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants, which has been looking at what those companies have achieved over the past week or so.
Intercity and intercountry transport networks are moving the masses fleeing war in Ukraine
Public and private rail carriers, airlines and intercity bus providers are opening their modes of travel to Ukrainian citizens leaving the country while bringing humanitarian aid into Ukraine.
Criticism of new concession to NMBS/SNCB by Belgian government
ALLRAIL, the alliance of newcomers to passenger rail transport in Europe, has strongly criticised plans by the Belgian government to once again award a public service contract to NMBS/SNCB for ten years. This would leave the railway monopoly with NMBS/SNCB until 2033 and, according to ALLRAIL, would block innovations in the railway sector.