NMa releases its Fifth Rail Monitor: inadequate one-stop-shop is hindering European railway market

Railway undertakings are still not satisfied with the so-called one-stop-shop, a system in which freight railway undertakings can use different international train paths with just a single capacity-allocation request. The request process with the network infrastructure managers takes too long, hindering the creation of a single internal European rail transport market. The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) has come to this conclusion in its Fifth Rail Monitor, which was published today. The NMa wishes to encourage the joint European regulators to promote a level playing field.

European regulators should stimulate the market together
Approximately a third of all freight railway undertakings does not use the one-stop-shop. This group of undertakings prefers to make separate arrangements with each country themselves. Half of the freight railway undertakings that do make use of the 0ne-stop-shop say they are unsatisfied with the pace of the request procedure, which takes about a week. The NMa is making an effort to promote the one-stop-shop on a European level.

Recommendations to network infrastructure managers ProRail and Keyrail
The NMa is pleased to see that the Dutch rail capacity market is developing in the right direction. However, the NMa does advise the network infrastructure managers to improve its planning when temporarily closing network segments for maintenance works. In addition, the NMa is in favor of more efficient tariffs for railway undertakings, with the network infrastructure managers, for example, differentiating on track-segment quality. Furthermore, the infrastructure charge needs to become more transparent. At the moment, railway undertakings are left in doubt for too long about potential future infrastructure charge increases.

Towards the desired situation
In the Rail Monitor, the actual situation in 2009 is compared with the desired situation. In this desired situation, all railway undertakings have efficient access to the network and rail-related services. In addition, there are efficient tariffs, and vital information is equally available – at the same time and to the same extent. This situation is a desired situation, and the NMa is fully aware of the practical and legal limitations. According to the Rail Monitor, when it comes to the area of capacity allocation, the desired situation is within reach.

Background of the rail monitor
The Rail Monitor's findings are used as the basis for the NMa's regulatory actions with regard to the rail market. The Rail Monitor is based on interviews with market participants and on data from railway undertakings and network infrastructure mangers ProRail and Keyrail. The 2009 results have been put into perspective by making comparisons with the situation in previous years.

An English translation of the Fifth Rail Monitor will be become available in late September or early October at www.vervoerkamer.nl.