Stefano Castro has been involved in RNE’s work since 2010 and was appointed to the RNE Management Board (MB) in May 2019.
As member of the MB, his responsibilities focus on Traffic Management and Train Performance Management.
He has more than twenty years of experience in the international rail business, mostly spent in Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, which he joined in 2007. In RFI he is currently Head of International Projects and Institutional Affairs.
RNE: Stefano, which business area are you responsible for in your position as Vice President of RNE?
Stefano Castro: I oversee the Traffic Management (TM) and Train Performance Management (TPM) business areas at RNE. I am honoured to lead these efforts, supported by the dedicated TM & TPM team at the Joint Office.
RNE: How do you see the development of RNE?
Stefano Castro: RNE’s future is grounded in its history. Initially, the association focused on the commercial aspects of international rail services, establishing a network of national One-Stop Shops (OSS). Over time, the sector recognised the need for stronger cooperation in operational areas like traffic management and train performance management.
Supported by increasingly advanced IT tools with improved data quality, usability, and functionality, RNE has now become a key service provider for its member Infrastructure Managers (IMs), harmonising procedures and operations across Europe.
Our mission, however, is forward-looking. In Traffic Management, we are working to improve cooperation among IMs and other logistics chain stakeholders. This includes developing procedures for efficient coordination during major international incidents and in general fostering efficient communication among national traffic control centres. Additionally, I would highlight projects aimed at enhancing more accurate train forecasting for more effective train run management and facilitating cross-border train operations by addressing language barriers between IMs and Railway Undertakings (RUs).
For RNE, these advancements bring greater responsibility and challenges we are committed to meeting.
RNE: Do you envisage any challenges between your RNE responsibilities and your tasks for your national Infrastructure Manager?
Stefano Castro: It is a matter of balance.
As a member of the RNE Managing Board, I am required to approach my duties with an international mindset, which adds value to an association like RNE. At the same time, I must ensure that any developments or decisions made within RNE are feasible at the national level.
These two aspects are not in conflict but must be considered appropriately.
RNE: Are there any anecdotes from your years with RNE you would like to share with us?
Stefano Castro: After many years as a project manager in extra-European technical assistance projects with a Ferrovie dello Stato Group subsidiary, I joined Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) in 2007, specifically the Strategy Department.
At that time, my Department Director encouraged me, saying, “It’s now time for you to support the growth of the international rail business in Europe.” She invited me to accompany her to the upcoming General Assembly of RNE, stating, “This is the place to invest in the future!” Today, I am pleased to acknowledge that she was right.
RNE: Stefano, if you could make a wish for RNE’s future – what would it be?
Stefano Castro: The latest developments in European legislation, in particular the new Draft Regulation on the use of railway infrastructure capacity in the single European railway area, present significant challenges for the entire sector. This is indeed a turning point, particularly for RNE, which has the opportunity to assume a pivotal role in the new configuration of the railway industry in Europe. Any considerations regarding RNE’s future development as an organisation must account for these developments.
I chose the word “opportunity” deliberately: while this opportunity carries inherent risks and demands resources and expertise, it simultaneously opens numerous possibilities for a brighter future in the railway sector, further enhancing RNE’s contributions.
RNE: Many people would like to introduce a European control unit comparable to aviation, why do you believe this is not the best solution for the rail sector?
What are the advantages of the European Traffic Management Network (ETMN) approach?
Stefano Castro: Currently, the experience of Eurocontrol in aviation is hardly applicable to railways. A single EU-wide control authority with rail traffic supervision and coordination responsibilities would struggle to address the diverse infrastructure standards, safety systems, control frameworks, and regulatory or language requirements at each cross-border point.
The European Traffic Management Network (ETMN) approach, by contrast, offers harmonised rules, processes, and tools for cooperation between national traffic control centres, while allowing for local specificities that do not compromise rail service performance.
The advantages of the ETMN approach include:
- An existing common tool, RNE Train Information System (TIS), which actively supports the network approach, regularly updated and enhanced with new functionalities and modules to reinforce ETMN’s effectiveness.
- Gradual, decentralised implementation among Infrastructure Managers (IMs), building on established standards. This flexible, network-based model allows for local, context-specific adaptations, unlike a one-size-fits-all approach, leading to faster acceptance and implementation.
- Broad support from IMs, who already operate national systems and collaborate internationally, making ETMN a naturally adopted, bottom-up approach rather than an imposed directive.