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News from Brussels
The European Commission today adopted Interpretative Guidelines on the setting up of charges for the use of railway infrastructure (‘track access charges’).
The guidelines present the Commission’s interpretation of key provisions in Directive 2012/34/EU, to help national authorities and rail infrastructure managers to apply the existing regulatory framework in a consistent way.
The guidance focuses on selected main causes of uncertain application or divergent practices, such as the definition of the so-called mark-ups and of the market segments to which they apply. The guidelines remind that mark-ups cannot constitute a barrier to market entry and must respect the prevailing objectives of optimising the use of railway infrastructure and preserving the competitiveness of railway transport.
The setting-up of track access charges is of particular importance in the context of the recent opening of national railway markets to competition under the 4th Railway Package, as their level has a direct impact on the profitability of rail transport services.
A well-designed charging scheme can also play an important role to promote market entry, the optimal use of the railway network, and the competitiveness of railway services.
Background
Track access charges are the fees which rail transport operators must pay for the use of railway infrastructure. They are a significant source of revenue for rail infrastructure managers and are, together with direct State contributions, a key element of network funding.
From the perspective of rail transport operators, track access charges represent a large portion of total operating costs and, as a result, have a significant impact on the economic viability of rail transport services and on ticket prices. Changes to their level or structure can therefore affect market entry, the supply of railway services, and the competitiveness of railway transport versus other transport modes.
Directive 2012/34/EU defines which components of track access charges are mandatory (‘direct costs’) and which are optional (‘mark-ups’) and sets out limits to the extent that the optional components can be used to recover the full costs of railway infrastructure.