"Protect and Develop the Single Market": New UIP President Peter Reinshagen on Europe’s Rail Freight Future

Newly elected UIP President Peter Reinshagen has set out a clear agenda for Europe’s wagon keeper community, with the modernisation of the General Contract of Use, protection of the Single Market, and rail freight competitiveness at its core.

In an interview with RAILTARGET, Reinshagen discusses the future of Digital Automatic Coupling, infrastructure reliability, military mobility, and the policy framework needed to make rail freight a stronger, greener, and more attractive transport option for Europe.

Congratulations on your election as President of UIP. What are the key priorities you would like to pursue during your mandate, and what would you consider a successful outcome for UIP over the coming years? 

Thank you, I am very happy about this opportunity. My priorities are clear and, I believe, interconnected. First, we need to modernise the GCU — the General Contract of Use — which is the foundational legal framework for wagon operations across Europe. Second, we must protect the European Single Market, because fragmentation is one of the biggest threats to our competitiveness. And third, we need to make rail freight genuinely more attractive for shippers and freight forwarders, because ultimately they are the ones who choose how their goods travel. If we achieve all three, I will consider that a successful mandate. 

European rail freight continues to face strong competition from road transport. In your view, what are the most urgent measures needed at the European level to improve rail freight's competitiveness? 

We need more Europe in how we manage capacity, coordinate infrastructure works, define track access charges, and support single wagon business. National approaches create friction and inefficiency. Alongside that, a modernised GCU with updated governance, a proper insurance framework, and harmonised maintenance rules for all keepers. And frankly, we need to speak with one voice for rail freight in Europe. A fragmented industry sends a weak signal to policymakers. 

Infrastructure quality and network reliability remain important topics in discussions about the future of European rail freight. How significant are these issues for wagon keepers, and what changes would you like to see from infrastructure managers and policymakers? 

When the system is inefficient, everyone suffers — railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, and keepers alike — and the ultimate loser is society because rail freight is such a key mode of transport when it comes to ensuring a sustainable future for our planet. What we are seeing is that transport times are getting longer and longer, which means you need more assets to deliver the same volume of transport. In the short term, that may look like more activity for keepers, but the medium- and long-term effect is deeply negative for profitability and for the attractiveness of rail freight as a whole. What I would like to see is much better works management, both at the national and international levels, with genuine consideration for rail freight's needs. And where disruption is unavoidable, compensation mechanisms should cover not just track access charges but the full range of additional costs incurred by operators. 

Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) remains one of the most ambitious transformation projects in European rail freight. What are the most important steps required to move from successful demonstrations to large-scale deployment? 

DAC is, without question, the game-changing project for rail freight in Europe. Electricity and data on the wagon will digitalise rail freight in ways that will directly benefit shippers and freight forwarders. We are not leaving anything to chance: before deployment, the new technology, which is developed in EU-co-financed projects (e.g., ERJU), is also being thoroughly tested. 

Thus, all eyes are on the PioDAC commercial test trains, which aim to show the commercial, technical, and operational viability of a DAC-equipped freight train. Based on the concrete and verifiable results of these trains, the next steps in terms of financing and deployment can be discussed at the European level. 

A first commercial test train is already up and running at Westfälische Landeseisenbahn (WLE). It was the final deliverable of the DAC4EU project, co-financed by the German Transport Ministry and managed by a consortium of RU’s and wagon keepers. It will continue beyond the end of DAC4EU as a German national PioDAK train — this time led by a keeper-driven consortium. That is a very encouraging sign of ownership and commitment from our community. 

Wagon keepers are making substantial investments in rolling stock modernisation. What policy framework is needed to ensure that these investments remain economically viable in the long term? 

As already mentioned above, we need a Single European Railway Area as promoted by ERA. We need long-term European infrastructure investments to maintain, modernize, and develop rail infrastructure. 

We need to keep the goals of the European Green Deal and decarbonization at the centre of the policy agenda. It is the key challenge of our generation. Rail freight still is and, for the foreseeable future, will remain the transport mode with the least environmental impact and the best energy utilization. 

That is a powerful argument, but it only translates into investment if the market conditions reward it. Above all, rail freight must be an attractive transport product for shippers and freight forwarders, which is the shared mission of railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, and keepers of both locomotives and wagons.  

The European Union is increasingly discussing resilience, military mobility and strategic autonomy. What role can rail freight and wagon keepers play in supporting these broader European objectives? 

Rail freight is a key part of the EU's overall resilience strategy. It is not just a commercial sector; it is a strategic asset, and it should be recognised as such. 

Existing wagons, especially intermodal wagons and terminals, are usually well-suited for military transport; dual-use strategies could be developed quite pragmatically here. 

But the most important point is this: you can only rely on rail freight for resilience and military mobility if it is already a functioning, profitable, and well-maintained network in peacetime. A healthy rail freight sector is the foundation. You cannot build strategic capability on a weak base.

Looking ahead to the next EU budgetary period, what funding priorities should policymakers focus on to strengthen rail freight and encourage a modal shift towards rail? 

The priorities are straightforward, but they require real political commitment. Infrastructure repair, modernisation, and new construction must come first. Standardisation is equally important because harmonisation across borders reduces costs and complexity for everyone. Innovation must be supported, particularly around DAC and wayside monitoring, which together represent the digital future of freight. We also need continued investment in the terminal network, because intermodal transport depends on it. And I would add a properly designed CO₂ pricing mechanism, one that genuinely reflects the environmental advantage of rail. That would level the playing field with the road in a way that is both fair and effective.  

If you could deliver one message to European decision-makers on behalf of the wagon keeper community today, what would it be? 

Protect and develop the Single Market. 

Everything else we want to achieve — modernisation, competitiveness, digitalisation, resilience — depends on having a single, integrated European space in which rail freight can operate efficiently and at scale.