Brussels, 06/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - The report by Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, Romania) - on the draft regulation establishing a European rail freight network for competitive freight - was adopted in second reading on Tuesday 4 May by a comfortable majority (30 votes for, 2 against and 4 abstentions). This time, the members of the European Parliament transport committee backed the facilitation measures foreseen by the proposal on freight trains. Unlike the vote in first reading, they reintroduced into the text the classification of slots benefiting from greater priority for freight trains and refused by a slim majority to modulate traffic priorities in relation to network peak hours (EUROPE 9889). They also backed the Council's position concerning the designation of rail corridors. Rather than maintain geographical criteria as foreseen in the initial draft text, MEPs approved the list of freight corridors drawn up by the Council, specifying that these should be operational two years at the latest after entry into force of the regulation.
Corridor selection. MEPs supported the setting in place of established corridors as recommended by the Council (and Commission). They nonetheless felt it was important to specify that each of the freight corridors should, in general, cross the territory of at least three member states. The number of states to be crossed could be reduced to two if the distance between two rail terminals located on the same corridor exceeds 500 km. They also specified that freight corridors should be compatible with the trans-European transport networks, the ERTMS corridors and those defined by the RailNetEurope network. Traffic rules established for each corridor should also promote, among other things, the circulation of silent trains. According to MEPs, the freight corridor should include all kinds of rail links, including ferry trains travelling between two member states.
Priority rules and slot allocations. According to MEPs, the corridor management committee (infrastructure managers and also rail companies) should, periodically and in consultation with users, reserve and update a number of slots for freight trains. This reserved capacity would contain a number of slots (called “facilitated freight”) for trains whose cargoes need to be transported according to schedule and speedily. To the great disappointment of the SNCF, this reserve capacity should nonetheless respect the other types of transport, especially passenger trains. Once allocated, the rapid freight slot could not be cancelled (except in unforeseeable circumstances such as acts of God) without at least three months' notice, unless the owner decides otherwise. MEPs also reintroduced into the text the possibility of access to corridors by candidates other than rail companies. The management committee, which each corridor should have, should also establish priority rules between the various kinds of transport that would be applicable in the event of traffic disturbance. These priority rules, unlike the stance taken by the Parliament at first reading, should apply in all circumstances, and, in the event of traffic disturbance, should ensure goods trains depart on time.
One stop shop. MEPs also reintroduced into the text the idea of a “one stop shop” (withdrawn by the Council and strongly criticised by the Community of European Railways - CER - for being administratively unwieldy.) This one-stop shop was to be established for each corridor, with a single competent body responsible for receiving and answering operators' requests for the use of train paths crossing at least one border. The plenary vote is scheduled for June. (A.By./transl.jl)