In reaction to the latest version of the new compromises on the 4th Railway Package ERFA raises concerns over weakened independence requirements of the infrastructure manager and urges caution over the "association" of railway undertakings in traffic management.

In a letter co-signed with Europe-wide representatives of freight forwarders, shippers, passengers, rail-road operators and environmental organisations ERFA calls on Member States to push through important changes on the Market Pillar of the 4th Railway Package.  

ERFA, together with CLECAT, European Passengers Federation, European Shippers Council, Mofair and UIRR, has published an open letter urging EU Transport Ministers to pursue much-needed changes to the rail sector via the political pillar of the 4th Railway Package.

ERFA warns of the dangers in allowing cooperation agreements, particularly within vertically integrated structures, currently being discussed under the governance pillar of the 4th Railway Package.

ERFA urges EU decision-makers to keep the 4th Railway Package together so that comprehensive and much-needed reform to the rail sector can be completed.

Joint ERFA-UITP-EIA letter to the Romanian Government expressing strong concerns at proposed railway line closures in Romania

ERFA calls for the members of the EU Transport Council to modernise the present governance structure of the railways, removing the discrimination potential that incumbents have at their disposal and use against new entrants, diminshing the competitiveness of the rail sector.

ERFA supports the inclusion of a strong reciprocity clause in the PSO regulation to avoid competitive distortions on the rail market.

ERFA expresses concern at "cooperation agreements", currently being discussed in Council, which could lead to severe market distortions and provides input from the UK, where such agreements are already in use.

ERFA has produced a new document intended to feed into the discussions on the political pillar of the 4th Railway Package. The input paper exposes the discriminatory practices faced by new entrants across Europe.

ERFA seeks to steer discussions towards a regulatory framework that promotes rail growth and away from discriminatory practices that hinder newcomers to the rail market.

An open letter from the British Rail Freight Group