Brussels, 15/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Deutsche Bahn and the SNCF are advising the Commission to draw from organisational models for railways outside of the EU, before it presents its fourth railway package. This package is likely to advocate the model separating infrastructure managers from service operators. On Monday 15 October, the two major German and French railway companies presented a study they had commissioned the Roland Berger consultancy firm to carry out. This demonstrated that in Russia, China, Japan, Canada and the United States (80% of world freight and 50% of passenger traffic), integrated structures made the performance of railway transport more effective and increased its share of the transport market. The study concluded that the integrated model helped avoid surcharges and improved performance (in the services it provided, punctuality and traffic) and increased capital spending. The president of the Deutsche Bahn, Rüdiger Grube, explained that in the preparation of the fourth railway package, they were in danger of making decisions too quickly based on certain existing models. He also regretted that existing studies only take into account national markets in Europe, whilst ignoring these five other countries. He added that Commission representatives believe that these markets are not appropriate but they are all about efficient transport. Sophie Boissard, the delegate general for strategy and development at the SNCF expressed surprise at not yet having seen the Commission published impact study, although it appears to know what the fourth railway package will do. She added that the feeling at the SNCF and Deutsche Bahn was that tough choices would have to be made without having had sufficient information for developing their discussions. Grube also called on the Commission to base its discussions on a costs/benefits analysis. The two companies are speaking with a single voice with regard to the issue of competition and Grube asserted that liberalisation is a theme that Deutsche Bahn defends, saying they support competition and need more not less. He added that nonetheless, the link between the model of organisation and the level of competition is not very clear. Boissard also argued that a closed market is not equal to an absence of competition or a public monopoly. (MD/trans.fl)