RailNetEurope and Forum Train Europe (FTE) are both committed to find solutions for the development of harmonised Commercial Conditions (CCs).

Accordingly, the RNE Guidelines on Harmonised CCs (2023) and the FTE Vision on CCs (2024) were adopted.

In early 2025, a joint initiative was launched with a focus on the specific aspect of compensation as part of Commercial Conditions discussion.

Establishing a Common Understanding on CC’s Compensations

The aim of the exchange on compensations was to:

• gather and compare the perspectives of Infrastructure Managers (IMs) and Railway Undertakings (RUs) on the topic, and
• explore potential common ground that could contribute to ongoing and future European discussions.

RNE and FTE worked together on establishing shared definitions for the terms compensation and penalty as used in trilogue discussions.

They also identified the most common cases and practices currently applied across European railway networks.

Key Findings

One of the main findings of this exchange was that existing compensation measures are fragmented and largely shaped by national rules.

Their implementation often requires the involvement of Ministries and Regulatory Bodies, particularly when it comes to assessing their financial impact on IMs.

At the same time, Applicants continue to promote compensation as a key market-oriented measure.

RNE-FTE Common Understanding on Compensation

The outcome of this joint work is summarised in the RNE–FTE Common Understanding on Compensation, adopted by FTE and RNE on 5 June 2025.

This document is included as part of the sector’s contribution to the Single European Railway Area Forum (SERAF) subgroup report on Commercial Conditions and Track Access Charges and represents a significant basis for further stakeholder discussions.