▶ Dr Erich Forster has been President of ALLRAIL since its inception in 2017.

▶ Now he is retiring, after many decades in the industry.

▶ So we asked him: what is your message to pass on to others, in order to bolster The Future Of Passenger Rail? 

Dr Erich Forster replied: “The recent EU Commission study on the effects of competition in passenger rail has unequivocally confirmed that market opening leads to more attractive prices and more services, with better quality. 

Competition is thus the way forward to a modern, significantly expanded, and efficient rail sector that will also attract many more passengers in order to address the climate crisis. However, many things remain to be done to ensure greater and fairer competition, such as:

1. A strict and uncompromised implementation of the EU 4^th Railway Package to quickly boost the modal split of passenger rail at both national and international levels. 
   • Notably, competitive tendering must become the norm for Public Service Obligation (PSO) contracts, leaving no room for loopholes or creative workarounds.
2. Faster and more consistent standardisation with harmonised regulations to reduce fragmentation along national borders. 
   • This requires further strengthening and better funding of the EU Agency for Railways (ERA).
3. Better-targeted tools to encourage new entrants.
   • This includes innovative financing and funding models for investments in new rolling stock, as well as specific solutions to better integrate rolling stock lessors into the passenger rail market, in line with their already established role in the rail freight sector.
4. Swiftly and consistently preventing and sanctioning anti-competitive practices by incumbent state-owned rail operators that hinder the entry and growth of new entrants, such as  the ÖBB /ČD cartel that was fined by the EU Commission for blocking the sale of rolling stock to RegioJet .
   • This requires granting more resources and powers to competition authorities and regulatory bodies, at both national and EU levels, to act faster and more decisively.
   • Sanctions must also financially affect culpable decision-makers in companies so that these are sentenced to pay fines for violations of competition law. The companies must make claims for recourse, otherwise the fine will ultimately only affect the taxpayers, as owners of the state railways.

I am confident that the new President of ALLRAIL, Elmer van Buuren, will be even more determined to drive fair competition and bold reforms that strengthen passenger rail in Europe. 

Fully implementing the EU Fourth Railway Package will be a vital step, alongside a stronger push for an open and competitive passenger rail market that delivers better services for passengers and supports Europe’s climate goals.”