UIRR calls for the swift establishment of the Capacity Regulation’s ERP
Brussels, 11 June 2026 — The entry into force of the Railway Infrastructure Capacity Regulation is a turning point for the operators of intermodal freight trains across Europe. For UIRR members, the new Regulation should present the opportunity to secure more and better-quality, train paths for their cross-border intermodal freight trains, and to improve the reliability of cross-border rail freight operations, which the sector has long been calling for. The new Regulation will govern railway infrastructure capacity management during both the annual timetabling and the periods of temporary bypass capacity management along sections of line impacted by works.
ERP: the voice of the railway infrastructure users
UIRR has co-signed the joint proposal for the establishment of the European Railway Platform (ERP). This proposal was submitted to the European Commission together with peer associations representing passenger and freight railway undertakings, service facility managers, competent authorities, and other market participants. The ERP will serve as the collective operational voice of railway users and intermodal stakeholders, acting as a strong and structured component of the new capacity management architecture embodied by the European Network of Infrastructure Managers (ENIM), in charge of developing European guidelines and capacity allocation rules.
No need to wait
UIRR urges the European Commission to approve the ERP proposal at the earliest opportunity. The railway infrastructure users must be represented from the very first steps of implementation of the new governance process.
Modernisation is welcome and should be replicated at every corner...
The Timetabling Reform (TTR) introduces innovative digital tools and market-oriented approaches to capacity management that will directly benefit intermodal services by making it easier to obtain usable, reliable train paths and to plan cross-border operations with greater predictability. Such modernisation is indispensable for intermodal freight trains, as they depend on competitive transit times and network-wide coordination in order to provide a credible alternative to road transport.
...including with CTD
As the regulatory framework governing capacity evolves, UIRR urges EU institutions to modernise the legal framework for Combined Transport to match this ambition. The Combined Transport Directive, which dates back to 1992 and is currently under revision, must also be modernised to reflect today’s operational, commercial, and environmental realities in the intermodal freight transport sector. Having a modern Capacity Regulation paired with an outdated Combined Transport Directive would leave a significant gap in the policy framework. The revision must be concluded swiftly and ambitiously.
“The new Capacity Regulation gives intermodal freight operators a real chance to get more and better-quality train paths and a formal voice in how the rules are written. We urge the Commission to approve the ERP without delay and to match this progress with an ambitious revision of the Combined Transport Directive.” – UIRR Director General, Ralf-Charley Schultze.