Planning and allocating railway capacity means organising when and where trains can run on the network so that different services can use the same infrastructure efficiently. In an international rail system, this requires close coordination between Infrastructure Managers (IMs), applicants and other stakeholders.
Streamline capacity planning, coordination and allocation in line with new regulations
The recently published Capacity Regulation, together with the revised Telematics Technical Specifications for Interoperability (Telematics TSI), requires the rail sector to streamline the use of railway capacity. This means for stakeholders to have harmonised, transparent and digitally supported processes for planning, coordination and allocation of capacity across Europe.
To support this transition, RailNetEurope (RNE) – together with its Members – has developed a comprehensive IT strategy. The Path Coordination System (PCS), a shared platform for managing international train path requests, represents one of its strategic pillars: Digital Capacity Management.
PCS brings more transparency to international path allocation.
Andras Till – Team Leader Capacity Management IT & Deputy to the CIO
RNE PCS: Digital support for European capacity coordination
PCS provides a shared environment for managing international path requests throughout the coordination process. It enables IMs, Allocation Bodies (ABs), Railway Undertakings (RUs) and other applicants to:
• create, submit and manage international path requests for both annual timetable and ad-hoc capacity
• coordinate path requests across multiple IMs through harmonised workflows
• track request status and changes throughout the coordination process, ensuring transparency
• facilitate structured communication between applicants and IMs within the system
• ensure consistent and standardised data exchange across the European railway network
• improve efficiency by reducing manual processes and administrative effort In this way, PCS supports more transparent, consistent and efficient coordination of international path requests across borders.
In this way, PCS supports more transparent, consistent and efficient coordination of international path requests across borders.
Supporting Capacity Regulation implementation through continuous development
To remain aligned with the changing regulatory and operational landscape, PCS continues to evolve in line with the objectives of the Capacity Regulation.
Current development activities focus on:
• Adapting PCS workflows to new Capacity Regulation processes.
• Improving usability and user experience for all stakeholders.
• Enhancing integration with other RNE applications within the digital ecosystem.
• Strengthening data quality and validation mechanisms.
• Supporting pilot projects to test new processes as foreseen in the Capacity Regulation.
A key tool for European railway capacity coordination
As Europe moves towards the implementation of the Capacity Regulation, efficient and harmonised coordination of international path requests will become increasingly important. In this context, the PCS represents a key tool for helping stakeholders to have access to aligned data and structured workflows when managing international capacity. Through continued development and close cooperation with stakeholders, RNE ensures that PCS remains fit for purpose in a more integrated and digitalised capacity management environment, directly supporting the objectives of the Capacity Regulation.
