RNE meets Infraestruturas de Portugal in Lisbon
The European railway sector is moving towards a new framework for managing infrastructure capacity, designed to support more efficient, transparent and coordinated rail operations across the single European railway area. For Infrastructure Managers (IMs), the upcoming EU Regulation will bring important changes in how capacity is planned, allocated and coordinated, particularly in cross-border rail traffic.
Meeting agenda
To support a common understanding of these changes, RailNetEurope and Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) representatives met in Lisbon on 22 April 2026.
RNE Vice Presidents Alfred Pitnik (ÖBB) and Sven Gjeruldsen-Halle (Bane NOR) together with RNE Joint Office Expert Josef Zitzler met with high-level representatives of IP to discuss the practical implications of the expected Regulation for IMs.
IP CEO Miguel Cruz and other colleagues from the Strategy, Traffic and Legal departments welcomed the participants. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the future European Framework for Capacity Management (EFCM), assess implementation needs and identify areas where cooperation within the IM community will be essential.
Many topics were tackled, such as future governance structure, implementation status, timelines and plans, cross-border coordination, Member State Strategic Guidance, platforms for Digital Capacity Management (DCM) and the respective involvement of Applicants.
The importance of exchange and collaboration between IMs
A key message that emerged from the discussions was that the implementation of the upcoming Regulation cannot be addressed by individual IMs in isolation. The changes ahead will require close cooperation, shared understanding and coordinated action across the Infrastructure Manager community. IMs can only benefit from learning from one another, by exchanging practical experiences and identifying common approaches where possible.
“We need to make sure that everybody moves forward in the same pace, willingness and commitment”
IP CEO Miguel Cruz
Addressing national challenges
The fruitful discussion was wrapped up with a clear statement of intention to comply with the upcoming Regulation by the CEO ofIP, considering the specific geographical situation of Portugal and volumes of international traffic, while also emphasizing the required ambition in view of the timeline.
Looking ahead: Supporting coordinated implementation
The exchange in Lisbon confirmed the importance of continued dialogue between RNE and its Members as the sector prepares for the future EFCM. The discussion helped to clarify expectations, identify key areas of work and reinforce the need for alignment at both strategic and operational levels.
