Introduction
RailNetEurope (RNE) has launched on 27 May 2026 a mandate-driven collaboration to support preparatory work related to the EU Regulation on the use of railway infrastructure capacity Regulation - EU - 2026/1184 - EN - EUR-Lex.
The initiative aims to provide the European Commission (EC) with consolidated sector technical input for the preparation of the Delegated Acts referred to in Article 11(9) and 41(11) of the Capacity Regulation, to revise section 8 of Annex I (“Schedule for changes to capacity allocated referred to in Article 41”), as well as elements of section 3 (“Schedule and requirements for coordination, consultation and publication of capacity restrictions resulting from infrastructure works referred to in Articles 11 and 37”).
The mandate-driven collaboration is part of the RNE project “Technical Input for Delegated Acts for TCRs (TCR DA)”. The mandate of the collaboration is based on the project proposal for the RNE project. The mandate is available via the button below, with the RNE project proposal included in the mandate as Annex I.
- The collaboration is open to the entire range of operational stakeholders referred to in the capacity regulation.
The objective is to ensure that this technical input reflects operational experience, planning and commercial requirements, best existing practices and stakeholder expectations across the European rail sector.
Scope and planning of the mandate-driven collaboration
The scope and planning for the collaboration are described in detail in the mandate and in the documentation of the kick-off meeting on 27 May.
27 May 2026 Kick-Off Meeting of RNE Project - 9:00-12:00 CET
Launch of the mandate driven collaboration on technical input for delegated acts on TCRs.
In the kick-off meeting, DG MOVE announced its intention to adopt a single Delegated Act under the empowerments in Articles 11(9) and 41(11), amending sections 3 and 8 of Annex I at the same time.
As a consequence, the RNE project proposal and the mandate for the stakeholder collaboration were revised as follows:
- Extension of the overall scope of the collaboration to two phases until March 2027, covering:
- Phase 1: defining general principles for the management of TCRs to ensure consistency between phase 1 and phase 2 and preparing technical input for the amendment of section 8 of Annex I (delegated act referred to in Article 41(1))
- Phase 2: preparing technical input for the amendment of section 3 of Annex I, i.e. within the scope of the delegated act referred to in Article 11(9)
- Earlier conclusion of WP1 (mid instead of end September)
- The mandate for the collaboration will be amended to cover phase 2 in due course, to ensure the best possible alignment and complementarity with the work of DG MOVE. Stakeholders will be informed and involved regularly.
The planning can be summarized as follows:
The changes to the initial mandate are documented here:
Approval of the mandate
We ask the members of the ABCR to submit their position on the mandate (yes/no/abstention) until the 16 June, 10:00 CET. Please do express your opinion before the deadline, so the collaboration can start without delay.
Participation in the collaboration
The participants in the collaboration come from 2 two groups: members of the RNE Task Force appointed by the competent RNE bodies and participants representing operational stakeholders other than IMs. Both groups work together to deliver the technical input referred to above.
You find a description of the working and approval processes in the collaboration at
Operational stakeholders other than IMs wishing to take part in this work are invited to apply for participation by 16 June 2026, 10:00 CET, by sending an email to abcr@rne.eu together with a brief motivation reflecting the criteria described in section 4 of the draft mandate.
Participation is not limited to the nominated ABCR representatives, and ABCR members are encouraged to forward this invitation to other organisations with relevant expertise.
The number of participants in the collaboration is limited to a maximum of 30. In case a selection between applications must be made, all applicants and ABCR members will be invited to a meeting to agree on the participation on 18 June, 10:00 (CEST).
Organisations (association and companies) committed to contribute who cannot nominate a definitive participant until the deadline can indicate a temporary contact in the application. In this case, the final participant must be as soon as possible. The total limit of 30 participants remains valid.
Practical information
If you have any questions, please reach out to us the Market & Performance Team of RNE at abcr@rne.eu. Once the participants in the collaboration are confirmed, work will be organised and steered by the project leader, Daniel Haltner. He will organise meetings and share documents with participants.
In order to facilitate planning for prospective participants, here are a few important meeting dates. Participation in these meetings will be limited to participants. Information about the progress of the collaboration will be provided on this website, at the ABCR Plenary on 30 June and through other appropriate channels.
Question & Answer
