Combat de Railcoop pour un transport ferroviaire abordable : ALLRAIL réaffirme son plein soutien
ALLRAIL exprime son soutien total à l'opérateur ferroviaire nouvel entrant français Railcoop dans son projet de lancement d'une alternative de transport ferroviaire durable et abordable entre Lyon et Bordeaux en 2024.
Railcoop’s fight for affordable rail transport: ALLRAIL stands strong in support
Brussels, 25th September 2023: ALLRAIL extends its full support to French passenger rail new entrant Railcoop in its inaugural project to offer an affordable, sustainable rail transport option between Lyon and Bordeaux by 2024.
Evidence Shows There Could Be 50% Modal Shift To Rail If Competition Were Introduced Onto More Long-Distance Routes in Europe
A new report highlighting the significant potential of introducing competition on European long-distance routes currently served by a single operator. The report, conducted by Silverrail, reveals that this move could lead to an estimated average modal shift of 50% from planes to trains. This shift would generate an additional €1 billion in revenue for the rail sector and reduce CO2 emissions by over 2.4 million tonnes. However, it is unfortunate that many Member States seem to be influenced by lobbying efforts favoring the status quo. A different approach is now needed.
Czech Republic: Will the rail regulator be abolished for… doing its job properly?
Last week, Czech media reported the planned abolition of the Czech independent Rail Regulator ÚPDI by the Ministry of Transport. At first glance, the reasons given by the Minister of Transport seem legitimate. However, according Czech press, this decision was allegedly taken after finding out that ÚPDI's President had asked the EU Commission a question about a transaction involving the state incumbent rail operator České dráhy (ČD). This transaction, in which ČD could potentially unfairly profit from renting and selling inherited real estate, would grant ČD an unfair financial advantage in the competitive passenger rail market.
One could ask: could the real reason be that ÚPDI will be abolished be... that it was doing its job properly?
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.