RNE’s Path Coordination System (PCS), specifically its latest evolution, the PCS Capacity Broker (CB), serves as an essential asset on the sector’s path towards efficient, transparent and harmonised rail timetabling in Europe, as required by the upcoming Capacity Regulation.

13 April 2026 marked the path request deadline for annual capacity for timetable period 2027, where the newly developed PCS-CB faced its first stress test under live operational conditions and performed robustly, demonstrating its ability to support large-scale international capacity coordination.

High volumes processed reliably

This milestone saw strong demand, with more than 3,500 cross-border paths requested overall. Of these, approximately 2,200 were passenger train paths and around 1,300 were freight train paths, reflecting a continued balance between passenger mobility and cross-border freight transport.

Post-launch improvements and incident resolution

Since the initial release in November 2025, RNE’s PCS team has focused on improving the usability and stability of the Capacity Broker. While some issues arose in the early stages, most were resolved quickly without significant operational impact.

One notable incident occurred in March, when an automated promotion of dossiers caused some to become temporarily invisible – unfortunately during the Forum Train Europe conference, a particularly sensitive period for many stakeholders.

The issue has since been fully resolved, normal access restored, and preventive measures implemented.

We thank Forum Train Europe and RNE members for their patience and constructive cooperation, which supported a swift resolution.

Ready for upcoming milestones

Looking ahead, the next key milestone in the annual capacity process will be the provision of draft offers on 6 July 2026.

Preparations are ongoing to ensure the continued smooth and transparent progression of the timetable planning process.