New Passenger Services
The European Community Directive 2012/34 and 2016/2370 provide for the opening of the market for domestic passenger transport services by rail and the governance of the railway infrastructure.
The Directives allow the granting of railway undertakings, under equitable, non-discriminatory and transparent conditions, the right of access to railway infrastructure in all Member States for the purpose of operating rail passenger services.
Granting Union railway undertakings, the right of access to railway infrastructure in all Member States for the purpose of operating domestic passenger services might have implications for the organisation and financing of rail passenger services provided under a public service contract. Member States have the option of limiting such right of access where it would compromise the economic equilibrium of those public service contracts based on a decision by the relevant regulatory body.
Regulatory bodies should assess, based on an objective economic analysis, whether the economic equilibrium of existing public service contracts would be compromised, following a request made by the interested parties.
The CRR is the designated regulatory body, and guidance and information on proposed new rail passenger service notification and requests for an economic equilibrium test can be found at the links below.
CRR-G-057 Guidance to the Economic Equilibrium Test Process.
CRR-F-074 Notification Form for a Proposed New Rail Passanger Service.