Regulation 2010/913 - European rail network for competitive freight - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 276/22

Within the framework of the European Union new Strategy for jobs and growth, the creation of an internal rail market, in particular with regard to freight transport, is an essential factor in making progress towards sustainable mobility.

Council Directive 91/440/EEC of 29 July 1991 on the development of the Community's railways (4) and Directive 2001/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2001 on the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity and the levying of charges for the use of railway infrastructure (5) have been important steps in the creation of the internal rail market.

In order to be competitive with other modes of transport, international and national rail freight services, which have been opened up to competition since 1 January 2007, must be able to benefit from a good quality and sufficiently financed railway infrastructure, namely, one which allows freight transport services to be provided under good conditions in terms of commercial speed and journey times and to be reliable, namely, that the service it provides actually corresponds to the contractual agreements entered into with the railway undertakings.

Although the opening of the rail freight market has made it possible for new operators to enter the rail network, market mechanisms have not been and are not sufficient to organise, regulate and secure rail freight traffic. To optimise the use of the network and ensure its reliability it is useful to introduce additional procedures to strengthen cooperation on allocation of international train paths for freight trains between infrastructure managers.

In this context, the establishment of international rail corridors for a European rail network for competitive freight on which freight trains can run under good conditions and easily pass from one national network to another would allow for improvements in the conditions of use of the infrastructure.

In order to establish international rail corridors for a European rail network for competitive freight, the initiatives already taken in terms of railway infrastructure show that the establishment of international corridors, which meet specific needs in one or more clearly identified segments of the freight market, is the most appropriate method.

This Regulation should, unless otherwise provided, be without prejudice to the rights and obligations of infrastructure managers set out in Directive 91/440/EEC and Directive 2001/14/EC and, where relevant, allocation bodies as referred to in Article 14(2) of Directive 2001/14/EC. Those acts remain in force, including in respect of provisions which affect freight corridors.

The establishment of a freight corridor should take into account, where appropriate, the need for better interconnections with the rail infrastructure of European third countries.

The design of freight corridors should seek to ensure continuity along the corridors by enabling the required interconnections between existing railway...