CER (Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies)

Is it a guided museum visit? No. Will you see great artworks? Yes. Registrations are now open for the 18th European Railway Award, the place to be for rail, transport, mobility and sustainability professionals, on 17 February 2025. Join us at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels to recognise the innovations and ideas shaping rail transport. Connect with leaders from the rail sector, policymakers, and professionals from across Europe, and contribute to discussions on the future of European transport. Register today👇 https://lnkd.in/d2EYtzH #EURA2025 #EuropeanRailwayAward #EUTransport

COP29 | Today in Azerbaijan, leaders are discussing solutions for greening global transport, logistics, and tourism. Transport is a critical component of trade and tourism. Billions of tons of freight are moved annually and 75% of CO2 emissions in tourism are attributed to traffic. The transport sector remains a significant contributor to global emissions, and adopting sustainable solutions is essential to reducing the sector’s environmental impact while supporting economic growth and improving quality of life. By prioritising multimodal, sustainable transport modes such as rail, we can reduce emissions, enhance logistics efficiency, and promote responsible tourism, all key steps towards achieving long-term climate goals. #OnTrackForEurope #COP29 #SustainableTransport

Shaping the future of rail transport in Romania ➡ The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure of Romania recently invited CER and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to participate in a meeting focused on a study to assess feasibility of High-Speed Rail services in Romania. The study will explore how high-speed rail can be integrated with the existing conventional rail network, creating a balanced, future-oriented transport system that strengthens regional connections and enhances Romania's links to broader European mobility networks. CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola contributed to the discussions, offering insights on how Romania can align its high-speed rail ambitions with the European High-Speed Rail Network. Key topics included the need for strategic planning, collaboration with local authorities, and long-term investment to ensure high-speed rail serves both current and future needs while boosting connectivity with Europe. With the study underway, Romania has a unique opportunity to shape a modern, sustainable transport network. The potential of high-speed rail to transform Romania’s economy, mobility, and connections with neighbouring countries is vast. #OnTrackForEurope #HighSpeedRail #Romania

This week, the first workshop of the Women in Rail Implementation Project was held in Warsaw, bringing together participants from 14 countries. Discussions focused on actionable steps and shared experiences to make the rail sector more inclusive. Launched in April, the Women in Rail Implementation Project is coordinated by CER in collaboration with ETF, with support from the European Commission’s DG Employment. Its ultimate goal is to deliver the next WiR report while fostering practical progress in gender equality across the rail sector. Topics discussed included: 🔹 Creating inclusive workplaces: Approaches to improve gender balance in recruitment, professional development, and workplace culture. 🔹 Promoting careers in rail: Strategies for early outreach to encourage women to consider careers in rail, highlighting role models and opportunities. 🔹 Safety and security: Tackling challenges around workplace safety and security for women. 🔹 Leadership and career development: Highlighting initiatives to support women’s advancement into management and leadership positions. 🔹 Sharing best practices: Learning from successful programmes across Europe, including mentorship, training, and gender equality agreements. Participants highlighted the importance of shifting cultural attitudes and embedding inclusivity as a priority, not just for women but to strengthen the sector overall. The next workshop is planned for March 2025 in Berlin, leading to a final conference in Brussels next September. #WomenInRail #GenderEquality #WomenInTransport

Railways are a key driver of territorial cohesion 🚄 In Antwerp today, the community representing European cities Eurocities officially launched the statement 'Prioritising fast and high-quality passenger train connections in Europe' with mayors of major cities, representatives from local administrations, and mobility stakeholders. The statement is a call to action for European institutions to prioritise the development of an integrated, high-quality rail network that links all European major cities and urban centres. Such a network, Eurocities emphasised, is essential to meet the EU’s goals for carbon neutrality and economic prosperity. CER Executive Director, Alberto Mazzola, joined Eurocities’ Head of Mobility, Peter Staelens, to discuss the potential of a European High-Speed Rail Network. 👉 Focusing on its capacity to boost European mobility, CER highlighted the benefits that a comprehensive High-Speed Rail Network could bring, from reducing carbon emissions, fossil fuel consumption and congestion to promoting regional economic development. 👉 The challenges ahead were also underlined, such as the need for consistent investments and regulatory support, in particular on simpler permitting. 👉 As showed during the recent Commissioner’s confirmation hearings, the cohesion of European regions through sustainable transport and the development of efficient infrastructure to address transport poverty will be a priority for the upcoming European Commission. 👉 Rail transport should be a central pillar of Europe’s sustainable mobility strategy, creating a more connected and resilient Europe that provides efficient mobility options for all European cities, urban areas, and regions. #OnTrackForEurope #EuropeanCities #EUregions

Commissioner Hearings | Ahead of the hearing for the Commissioner-designate for Cohesion and Reforms, Raffaele Fitto, it is important to emphasise the critical roles of the Cohesion Funds, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), in advancing Europe’s transport future—especially for railways, a key beneficiary. 🚄 Railways have proven themselves as efficient and competitive investors, effectively absorbing funds to support sustainable transport. 🌍 With ambitious 2050 targets, the rail sector requires strong backing from tools like Cohesion, CEF, and RRF, to continue leading in green, resilient transport. Check out how the 2050 European High-Speed Rail Network could look like 👇 #OnTrackForEurope #ConfirmationHearings #EUregions

Unlocking rail’s full digital potential for the benefit of passengers and freight transport relies on the fastest possible deployment of rail's key digital enablers. Rail transport game changers include: 👉 #ERTMS, European Rail Traffic Management System, to improve interoperability, capacity, performance and safety. 👉 FRMCS, Future Railway Mobile Communication System, to enable future-proof robust communication performance. 👉 DCM, Digital Capacity Management, to reduce bottlenecks through smart data management, run more trains on the existing infrastructure, better plan their maintenance works, and harmonise interoperable freight and passenger trains. 👉 #DAC, Digital Automatic Coupling, to enable freight capacity increase, reduction in operational time, and integration of rail freight into digital supply chains. A new governance should be designed to coordinate ERTMS, FRMCS and DAC investments and deployment to unlock the full benefits of the digital transition: ✅ Better data exchange, ✅ optimised capacity, ✅ and ultimately more trains on tracks, including cross-border. Read the full chapter on rail's key digital enablers in the European Rail Manifesto 2024-2029 'On Track For Europe' 👇 https://lnkd.in/eQj6e3Ui #OnTrackForEurope #EUTransport #Railway

Commissioner-designate for Budget, Piotr Serafin, demonstrated a strong vision for the next EU budget. A solid transport system is essential to enhancing European competitiveness: In a strong performance at his confirmation hearing before the European Parliament, Commissioner-designate Piotr Serafin described his vision for a new streamlined and policy-oriented EU budget. CER welcomes his confident approach and looks forward to working with him on shaping the European Commission proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for a resilient and competitive Europe. 🔹 The next #MFF will be very different from the current one, more flexible, maximising the use of private and public capital, with grants, but also guarantees and loans. 🔹 A new Competitiveness Fund will support scaling up of companies, R&D, and the transfer of innovation into the real economy. 🔹 If Member States do not accept to increase the MFF, the European Commission will need to find resources. As proposed by the Commission, revenues from the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and Emissions Trading System should be used to increase EU Own Resources. 🔹 Serafin was also asked how to ensure the proper management of long-term investment plans – such as for the #TEN_T network – when today investment planning can only go as far as the duration of the EU multiannual budget. He showed full understanding for the value of predictability of resources and readiness to engage in finding suitable solutions. CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola said: 👉 "European competitiveness cannot be enhanced without a solid transport system, of which railways must be the backbone. The value of rail connectivity for regional cohesion and for the EU Single Market is fundamental and evident. The European added value of cross-border projects, of the European Rail Traffic Management System, of DAC technologies must find in the next MFF the right support. As a rule, we need to make sure that national projects are also funded and interconnected." 👉 "We look forward to working with Commissioner Serafin to ensure that the potential of rail connectivity and railways’ competitive advantages in terms of safety, sustainability, energy efficiency and security are recognised in the EU budget.” Read the news in the comments section. #OnTrackForEurope #ConfirmationHearings

Ahead of the confirmation hearing for the Commissioner-designate for Budget, Piotr Serafin, CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola said: 👉 “Massive investments are needed to implement the current TEN-T Regulation, with total investment needs over the period 2021-2030 estimated at about EUR 500 billion for the TEN-T Core Network (on average EUR 50 billion per year), and at about EUR 1.5 trillion for the TEN-T Comprehensive Network and for other transport investments up to 2050." 👉 "In the next MFF, we call for the Connecting Europe Facility to cover at least EUR 100 billion. This is essential if we want transport to be sustainable, resilient, and seamless. No one has ever regretted investing in transport.” #OnTrackForEurope #EUtransport #EPhearings

Commissioner Hearings | How can we keep rail on track for Europe? Railways need fair, long-term, comprehensive financing: 🔎 Adequate financing of railways means fair financing, which can be achieved only if EU regulations ensure a level playing field for different modes of transport. 🚉 Meeting the huge infrastructure investment needs of the sector will require a bigger EU transport budget line in a scaled-up Multi-annual Financial Framework, including new sources of EU funding such as earmarked revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System. 🤝 Adequate political commitment to rail and the funding of rail infrastructure development is crucial. Multiannual Contracts between governments and infrastructure managers must be drawn up and applied correctly and for a duration of no less than 5 years. 📊 Private resources may be attracted complementarily in certain Member States thanks to the tools provided by the EU Strategy on Sustainable Finance. 📗 At a broader level, European Semester recommendations will have to affirmatively promote the green transition, coupling macroeconomic stability with the prioritisation of sustainable investments. Read the full chapter on adequate financing of railways in the European Rail Manifesto 'On Track For Europe' 2024-2029👇 https://lnkd.in/eQj6e3Ui #OnTrackForEurope #EUTransport #MFF