CER Members Back New Priorities at Brussels General Assembly

Rail executives from across Europe have met in Brussels for the annual General Assembly of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies. The gathering set out CER’s strategic priorities for 2026 and addressed key EU rail policy files.

Rail CEOs from across Europe gathered in Brussels for the General Assembly of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), where they agreed on the association’s strategic priorities for 2026, appointed new members to the Management Committee, welcomed two new organisations as members, and adopted positions on two key EU policy files.

CER Priorities for 2026

Members endorsed a focused agenda that will guide CER’s advocacy in the year ahead. The priorities reflect the sector’s ambition to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, resilience, and connectivity. They include securing strong EU funding for rail in the next Multiannual Financial Framework; reinforcing Europe’s Military Mobility framework; supporting implementation of the European High-Speed Rail Plan, with attention to financing, permitting, industrial capacity and cross-border coordination; advancing digital rail technologies such as ERTMS with a focus on cost efficiency and deployment realism; and addressing structural challenges in rail freight to safeguard intermodal competitiveness and prevent reverse modal shift.

CER will also continue its work on ticketing and passenger rights, climate and energy policy, cost reduction, and implementation of the new Regulation on railway infrastructure capacity.

New Leadership Appointments

The General Assembly appointed four new members to the CER Management Committee: Jean Castex, Chairman and CEO of SNCF Group; Henrik Dahlin, CEO of Green Cargo AB and Deputy Chairman of ASTOC, who will serve as a consultative member; Miroslav Garaj, Director General of ŽSR; and Tomáš Tóth, Director General of Správa železnic, who joins as Vice-Chair. Their combined experience strengthens CER’s leadership at a pivotal time for European rail.

Two New Members Join CER

CER also welcomed two new organisations into its membership. Línea Figueras Perpignan S.A. (LFP), which manages the 44.4 km Perpignan–Figueres cross-border high-speed line, including the El Pertús tunnel, brings expertise in international infrastructure management. Network Rail, the national infrastructure manager of Great Britain’s railway network, also joins the association, broadening CER’s representation across Europe’s rail system.

Policy Positions on Military Mobility and Vehicle Authorisation

In line with their newly endorsed priorities, members approved two new policy papers addressing EU legislative developments. On Military Mobility, CER welcomes the 2025 Military Package as a step toward a Military Schengen and sets out recommendations to ensure the proposed Regulation is workable for rail, including clarification of compensation mechanisms, refinement of the Solidarity Pool, and assessment of expanded powers for the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA).

On Vehicle Authorisation, CER proposes measures to make the ERA process faster, more efficient, and less costly, ensuring approvals do not exceed five months. This is seen as critical for new rolling stock and major retrofits such as FRMCS and Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC), supporting faster deployment and improved fleet availability.

CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola said: "Europe’s railways are united behind a clear agenda for 2026. Strong funding, digital transformation, military mobility, and high-speed rail are all essential to building a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable Europe. Today’s decisions show a sector ready to work together, with partners and with EU institutions to deliver the rail system Europe needs."

Source: CER Press Release