The European Commission (EC) is planning to present a proposal to revise the European Train Drivers Directive (TDD) in the second quarter of 2026 and convert it into a directly applicable regulation. The aim is to achieve greater harmonisation, particularly in the cross-border deployment of train drivers, with English as the core EU second language for operational communication between infrastructure managers and locomotive crews. This is intended to facilitate cross-border deployment, but has met with strong controversy within the industry. The EC is also considering a five- to ten-year transition period, coordinated with digital language tools.
