RailTech Europe ’24: Netherlands on collision course with EU over market liberalisation in rail
On Thursday, March 7, at 11:15 a.m., the gloves will come off and proponents and opponents of market forces in rail will discuss all the possibilities and impossibilities, challenges, wishes and legislation. Secretary General of ALLRAIL, will probably point out that the Netherlands has been on thin ice with the private awarding of the main rail network concession to NS for the years 2025-2033.
Dutch railway deal is “fundamentally illegal” say independents
The contract the Dutch government intends to award to Dutch railway operator NS for passenger transport services is facing EU scrutiny and is “fundamentally illegal”, according to ALLRAIL. The new concession which would run from 1 January 2025 to the end of 2033 grants unjustified subsidies, covers a disproportionate size of railway services and its timing is “suspicious”.
‘Belgium’s approach to encouraging night trains should be emulated across Europe’
The Belgian measure in which night train operators will pay nothing for track access fees and energy over the next two years should be adopted across Europe, says ALLRAIL, which represents new entrants in passenger rail. The organisation celebrates the launch of European Sleeper last week, the “first ever – independently owned – scheduled long-distance rail operator to depart from Belgium”.
The First Ever Independent Scheduled Long-Distance Passenger Rail Service Departs from Belgium
A few days ago, history was made in Belgian passenger rail: European Sleeper was the first independently owned scheduled long-distance rail operator to depart from Belgium. Its new night train is commercially driven - not a Public Service Obligation (PSO) - and links Belgium, the Netherlands with Berlin in Germany.
Belangenorganisatie ALLRAIL waarschuwt Kamer: ‘NS concessie in strijd met marktregels’
De Europese belangenorganisatie ALLRAIL waarschuwt in een brandbrief de kamercommissie voor Infrastructuur en Waterstaat voor een “extreme tunnelvisie” van het ministerie aangaande een nieuwe onderhandse concessie voor NS. Daarbij zegt ALLRAIL dat het ministerie de Europese marktordeningsregels niet naleeft, waardoor de “geloofwaardigheid van het Europese spoorbeleid wordt ondermijnt”.