Primary tasks
- Coordination of Railway Advisory Group (RAG) positions
- Experience exchange between RAG Speakers
- Setting up of corridor work groups on the improvement of operations quality and border crossing issues.
- Representing Railway Undertaking’s operational input to Rail Freight Corridors’ managers, European Commission, etc.
- Contributions to and representation at European Commission work groups such as SERAC (Single European Railway Area Conference), conferences, fairs, etc
- Help other UIC projects with their implementation:
- Cross-border issues (‘railway sections’ and ‘language’)
- International Contingency Management (ICM)
- Implementing shared KPI’s
- Rail Freight Forward operational input
Contributing companies: CFL Cargo, DB Cargo, Green Cargo, Lineas, Mercitalia, Rail Cargo Group, Rail Logistics Europe, SBB Cargo. ECCO gave operational expert input to Rail Freight Forward RFF.
Key Achievements and Activities
During its twelve-year existence, ECCO made significant contributions to European rail freight in several areas.
Cross-Border Coordination
The project worked extensively on reducing cross-border obstacles by sharing harmonisation initiatives. E.g., Quality Circle working groups to improve cross-border operations were replicated across several corridors with success.
International Contingency Management
One of ECCO’s notable successes was initiating what later became a separate project on International Contingency Management. This work resulted in a new International Railway Solution (IRS) that outlined risk management measures, essential steps during international disruptions, detailed communication procedures, and resource-pooling scenarios for contingency situations: IRS 20240
Governance and Regulatory Improvements TEN-T
ECCO also conducted a thorough evaluation of TEN-T Regulation 1315/2013 and recommended:
- Harmonisation of RFCs with TEN-T network
- Harmonised infrastructure investment planning between member states
- Develop predictable long-term planning with flexibility for short-term adjustments
- Harmonise Temporary Capacity Restrictions (TCRs) financing and promote coordination between State-State and IM-IM.
- Create a 2050 target timetable and infrastructure network picture to prioritise development projects
TEN-T Regulation evaluation
Summary of ECCO’s recommendations for Regulation 1315/2013:
The EU Commission incorporated many of the key recommendations from the ECCO input into the public consultations.
In addition, ECCO argued for:
- Network Completion and additional lines
- Timely implementation of the Core network (full technical parameter realisation).
Implementation Motivation
And we introduced a proposal that aimed to establish a more express obligation for Member States to use the TEN-T Regulation to achieve modal shift, to double rail’s modal share by 2050. This includes motivation mechanisms to ensure full implementation of requirements.
Solving Fundamental Planning Issues
This proposal addressed the harmonisation of infrastructure investment planning between member states, creating predictable, coordinated long-term planning with flexibility for short-term adjustments. It aimed to solve issues related to Temporary Capacity Restrictions (TCRs) that threaten rail freight operations:
– Creating harmonised infrastructure investment planning between member states
– Developing predictable long-term planning with flexibility for short-term adjustments
– Harmonising Temporary Capacity Restrictions (TCRs) financing and promoting coordination State-State and IM-IM.
– Creating a 2050 target timetable and infrastructure network picture to prioritise development projects
Governance and Regulatory Improvements RFC
ECCO conducted a thorough evaluation of Regulation 913/2010, identifying that Rail Freight Corridors were hampered by national priorities and fragmented decision-making. The project advocated for profound changes to RFC governance, recommending simplified structures, empowered corridors, and reduced national influences to create more market-oriented and harmonised operations. Rail Freight Corridor Regulation evaluation
Summary of ECCO’s evaluation of Regulation 913/2010:
The functioning of Rail Freight Corridors (RFCs) is significantly hampered by national priorities, interests, and fragmented decision-making powers.
Shared Recommendations
Profound changes to RFCs to make them more market-oriented, streamlined and harmonised:
- Giving RUs significant roles of power in RAG, MaBo and ExBO
- Simplifying governance for more effective, rapid decision-making
- Empowering corridors over national Infrastructure Managers (IMs)
- Formalising and harmonising procedures across different RFCs
- Making RNE guidelines mandatory for all players
- Reducing national influences
- Harmonising network statements and national procedures
- Coordinating investment planning on a European scale
Railway Advisory Group MoU
ECCO developed for each corridor RAG an MoU between RUs, setting out the work relationship of Railway Undertakings and their Speaker in the Railway Advisory Group of the Rail Freight Corridors.
Infrastructure Development
ECCO advocated for coordinated investment planning on a European scale, aligning Rail Freight Corridors with Core Network Corridors. The fought for the implementation of TEN-T technical parameters including P400 loading gauge, ERTMS signalling systems, 740-metre trains, and electrification.
Capacity Management
The project addressed capacity booking and allocation processes, promoting harmonised infrastructure investment planning between member states and developing predictable long-term planning with flexibility for short-term adjustments. ECCO also worked on coordinating Temporary Capacity Restrictions (TCRs) to minimise disruption to rail freight operations.
Capacity Regulation, summary of ECCO’s input
- Socio-economic criteria to weigh passenger and freight capacity demands.
- Strong applicant position in governance
- Strong independent arbiter
- Fast, flexible capacity processes
- Capacity offer in different slices of order time to suit market needs.
- TCR Compensation
TCR compensation model
Goals of this compensation proposal:
- Prevent reverse modal shift by:
- fostering knowledge of the fact that infrastructure works have sector-wide consequences
- inciting IMs to construct capacity-friendly,
- enable RUs to keep their clients during planned disruptions,
- considering the societal cost of traffic transfer to the road
- Prevent unreasonable costs for RU due to TCR.
- Protect RU from existential damage attributable to IM works.
Method: Average train-production cost per km per country
✔ DEVIATION:
Extra route km O-D cross-border caused by TCR, including traction change.
✔ CANCELLATION:
Full O-D distance² in kilometres NOT run due to TCR.
✔ DEVIATION AND CANCELLATION³:
- Standard cost drivers in €/km are used to calculate the production cost of trains on each IM’s network, with which an average production cost per km per IM network is calculated.
- In case of a rerouting or a cancellation every RU is compensated by the same standard amount in €/km for each rerouting from O-D, or cancelled km from O-D.
The intention of the new Capacity Regulation is a reflection of the input from Railway Undertakings, including the ECCO group.
But not taken up were:
- A strong supranational coordinator
- A strong link between structural network overload and TEN-T investments
- Obligatory multi-annual infra financing
- A strong RU body in the capacity governance
- An independent arbiter on capacity issues
And..
KPIs - Key Performance Indicators definition, TEN-T parameters implementation follow-up at RFC level, Re-routing plans of RFC, Investment planning, Helping UIC Cross-border Sections and Language projects with pilots
Legacy
The ECCO project, through the people that made it, has left a lasting impact on European rail freight, via input to the many official consultations for
– regulatory reform,
– operational improvements,
– and cross-border coordination.
By addressing fundamental challenges in governance, interoperability, and capacity management at key European and infrastructure management institutions.
Relentless advocacy by ECCO and its members has helped the EU to take a step towards a more integrated, efficient European rail network and Infrastructure Managers towards more cooperation between them and with RUs.
UIC thanks the contributing members for their long-lasting support of the project. UIC thanks especially the people whose tireless dedication to the work and believe in the rail freight business made the project a success: the Railway Advisory Group Speakers.