Brussels, 20/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has put France and the United Kingdom in a corner over excessive track access charges for passenger and freight trains using the Channel Tunnel. On Thursday 20 June, the European executive sent both countries a reasoned opinion urging them to comply with the provisions of the first rail package relating to track access charges. France and the UK will have two months in which to comply, failing which the Commission may refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas explained his institution's decision saying: “The Channel Tunnel is not being used to its full capacity because of these excessive charges. As a result, more freight is being carried on lorries instead of by rail, freight operators and their customers are being over-charged, and passenger are paying over-the-odds for their tickets. The current regime is also stifling growth in the rail sector”.
The Commission says France and the UK are not correctly applying the provisions of the first rail package relating to track access charges, which should be calculated on the basis of costs linked to the direct costs of operating train services and to the long-term investment occasioned by this major infrastructure project. This, however, does not seem to be the case and, the Commission believes, the charges could be reduced considerably, with this being offset by allowing more trains to use the track. The tunnel is not being used to its full capacity.
The Commission also expresses doubt about the independence of the regulatory authority, the intergovernmental commission, which must be separate from the rail companies and infrastructure managers. This, it fears, could lead to competition distortion. (MD/transl.jl)