photo: Tracy Gill / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 / Flickr/Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway
EU rail leaders met in Copenhagen to cut costs and bridge fragmentation. The European Commission, ERA, and top industry players urged faster harmonisation and stronger market integration.
Last week, the high-level event in Copenhagen brought together senior figures from the European rail community to debate harmonisation, market competitiveness, and infrastructure efficiency. The conference was opened by Flemming Schiller (Danish Deputy Permanent Secretary of State for Transport), Kristian Schmidt (Director for Land Transport, DG MOVE), and Oana Gherghinescu (Executive Director, European Union Agency for Railways).
Read more
Ukrainian expert Borys Hanailiuk took part in this year’s TRAKO fair in Poland, contributing to profile discussions on the future of the Digital Automatic…
According to Kristian Schmidt, the European rail supply industry must be strengthened to deliver on the vision of a Single European Railway Area. While the European Commission supports UNIFE’s proposal for €3 billion in R&D and €15 billion in pre-deployment, Schmidt stressed that cost reduction must accompany investment. Oana Gherghinescu added that "rail becomes a masterpiece only when built on standardisation and cross-border integration," pointing out the need for a pan-European approach based on industrial efficiency and safety.
Tackling Fragmentation, Harmonisation, and Rising Costs
The first panel examined whether deregulation or further standardisation could reduce costs and improve cross-border transport. Speakers discussed ERA’s resource challenges, particularly in vehicle authorisation and ERTMS deployment, urging a shift toward eliminating national rules and granting greater responsibility to operators and manufacturers.
The second panel, featuring Enno Wiebe (UNIFE), Kevin Cogo (Alstom), and Gerhard Greiter (Siemens Mobility), explored how fragmented supply markets increase costs and limit competition. Participants pointed out the need for industrial integration, scalable production, and innovation incentives to improve Europe’s manufacturing competitiveness.
Read more
Cities and railways are uniting to fast-track Europe’s high-speed ambitions. Eurocities and CER have called on the EU to accelerate investment and build…
In the third session, introduced by Matthias Ruete (European ERTMS Coordinator), experts addressed the high cost of developing and maintaining rail infrastructure, especially under ERTMS and the upcoming FRMCS rollout. Panellists warned against repeating past national-level mistakes and urged EU-wide coordination for deployment.
Path Forward
Joachim Lücking (DG MOVE) concluded that reducing regulation alone won’t make rail cost-efficient—harmonisation, streamlined authorisations, and more affordable ETCS deployment are essential. Giorgio Travaini (Europe’s Rail JU) and Oana Gherghinescu agreed that eliminating redundant national rules is vital for creating a mature, stable regulatory framework.
The Danish Presidency of the EU Council summarised that achieving an integrated European rail system requires full implementation of the 4th Railway Package and TEN-T Regulation, cost-reduction through harmonisation, and targeted innovation such as predictive maintenance and workforce upskilling.
These discussions will inform the Presidency’s forthcoming ministerial statement, backed by the European Commission, outlining next steps for ETCS and FRMCS deployment. The ERA’s Single Programming Document will monitor progress, ensuring a competitive, affordable, and sustainable European rail network that supports economic growth and resilience.
Read more
Europe is setting its sights on a faster, greener future. With its new High-Speed Rail Action Plan, the European Commission wants to connect major…
Source: UNIFE Press Release