Portugal: Novo Passe Ferroviário Financiado pelos Contribuintes Irá Canibalizar o Mercado Ferroviário de Longa Distância
Kolejny Przykład Niekompetencji Polskiego Regulatora Kolejowego
3 marca 2024 roku, po 531 (!) dniach procedowania, Prezes Urzędu Transportu Kolejowego wydał decyzję otwartodostępową jednemu z niezależnych operatorów dla połączeń na trasie Kraków Główny – Gdynia Główna i z powrotem przez Warszawę. Sam ten fakt nie byłby niczym nadzwyczajnym, gdyby nie zakres wnioskowanych usług oraz decyzja regulatora zakres ten ograniczająca.
Poland: Biased Rail Regulator Approves Application for PKP Intercity but Refuses Identical Application for Newcomer
On 3 March 2024, after 531 (!) days of proceedings, the Polish rail regulator UTK only approved a minor portion of independent operator RegioJet’s application to operate commercial passenger services on the Kraków–Gdynia route, and confined mostly to off-peak hours.
UTK's decision to approve state incumbent's application while imposing severe limitations on that of the independent operator showcases a troubling instance of double standards and protectionism.
Directly Awarded Public Service Obligations (PSOs) Can Cost Twice as Much as Competitive Tenders – Taxpayer Money is Wasted, Which Could Be Better Used Elsewhere
Later this year, a new subsidised cross-border long distance service will connect Prague (Czech Republic) to Gdynia (Poland). This service was competitively tendered in the Czech Republic and directly awarded in Poland. How much will the taxpayer of each country pay for this very same train service?
- In the Czech Republic, where the service was competitively tendered, taxpayers will pay €3.11 per train-kilometre;
- In Poland, where the contract was directly awarded, taxpayers will pay €7.09 per train-km, expected to rise to €9.18/train-km!