The Association of European Rail Rolling Stock Lessors (AERRL) and the Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants (ALLRAIL) are joining forces to advocate for a new vision for European rail transport. This comes at a crucial time, as the European Commission is preparing a revision of the Regulation on the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). As the rail sector continues to evolve, both new entrants and rolling stock lessors call for an updated Regulation that reflects these developments and supports the future growth of European rail transport.

Following the liberalisation of the rail sector, European rail transport has been fundamentally restructured, with new economic players driving its evolution. However, despite these changes, rail transport continues to face significant challenges in expanding its market share and competing with other modes of transport. In this context, we firmly believe that the Agency must be given a greater mandate to actively support rail transport’s growth and competitiveness.

Shifting towards rail is not only vital for the sector’s expansion but also for meeting Europe’s carbon reduction goals. The Agency must lead this transformation by supporting rail transport’s growth as a key element of Europe’s sustainable mobility future, and by advancing the development of a circular economy.

AERRL and ALLRAIL stress the importance of the Agency adapting to the evolving landscape and the challenges it faces, particularly through the upcoming revision of its Regulation. This adaptation should include better representation of the rail sector within the Agency’s governing bodies, a more comprehensive evaluation of the economic impact of emerging technologies, and a stronger emphasis on the circular economy and asset-life optimisation.

However, recognising the current limitations on the Agency’s capacity to fulfil its mandates, we also wish to express our concerns regarding its insufficient funding, which must be addressed in the forthcoming revision. The Commission must ensure that the Agency is equipped with the necessary resources to effectively navigate these evolving challenges.

Our main priorities for the next revision of the ERA Regulation are as follows:

• Establishing the growth of rail transport’s market share as a core objective for the Agency;
• Granting the Agency an explicit mandate to assess the impact of new recommendations on rail transport’s market share;
• Giving the Agency a clear mandate to promote a circular economy by optimising and maximising the life cycle of rail assets;
• Acknowledging the role of new economic players by enhancing their representation in the Agency’s Management Board;
• Securing adequate financial resources for the Agency to tackle the sector’s emerging challenges.