Merely two weeks after its launch in the framework of the Paris Olympic Games, the new joint SNCB/SNCF Paris-Brussels train's length was halved due to a lack of passengers resulting from the fact that SNCF's in-house ticket retail channels do not sell it.  

After Railcoop, yet another passenger rail start-up – Midnight Trains – has ended its activities in the face of the high market barriers to entry. This is another stark reminder that the EU passenger rail market remains much more open in legislation than it is in reality.

Après Railcoop, une autre start-up ferroviaire - Midnight Trains – a mis fin à ses activités en raison des importantes barrières à l'entrée sur le marché. Cela nous rappelle une fois de plus que le marché européen du transport ferroviaire de voyageurs reste beaucoup plus ouvert dans la législation qu'il ne l'est dans la réalité.

The AllRail association of new entrants to the rail market said Midnight Trains' announcement was 'another stark reminder that the EU passenger rail market remains much more open in legislation than it is in reality'.

ALLRAIL Policy Officer Salim Benkirane said 'The fact that Midnight Trains’ project was among the cross-border pilots that the European Commission selected should serve as a wake-up call for the new EU Parliament and Commission. How many promising passenger rail start-ups must be sacrificed before action is taken to achieve a genuine Single European Railway Area?'

As the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) celebrated its 20^th anniversary, ALLRAIL’s team travelled to its home city of Valenciennes to reflect on the Agency’s achievements so far.