The Parliament of the European Union (EU) has presented a revised draft of the Rail Capacity Regulation which, according to the European Rail Freight Association (ERFA), represents a significant improvement. The new draft strengthens the role of infrastructure users and introduces a clearer governance structure and a more ambitious implementation plan. Four main improvements have been highlighted. Firstly, a formal advisory group has been established to address the lack of formal consultation with users, which the ERFA supported in principle. Secondly, the European Network of Infrastructure Managers (ENIM) will be better and more independently supervised by the European Network of Railway Regulators (ENRRB), which has been given greater powers. Thirdly, infrastructure managers must provide alternative capacity outside the capacity supply plans, which was essential for increasing network flexibility in the event of market requirements. Fourthly, key aspects of the regulation, such as the rights to additional network capacity, are due to come into force in January 2026 instead of December 2029, as originally proposed.
