RFC in Austria
Regulation (EU) No. 913/2010 and its objectives2e
Regulation (EU) No. 913/2010 aims to create a Europe-wide, efficient rail network for cross-border freight transport. It also lays down rules for the selection, organization, management, and indicative investment planning of freight corridors.
European freight corridors explained
A Rail Freight Corridor (RFC) is an international rail freight corridor with coordinated train path allocation and construction planning across national borders.
There are currently eight such corridors in Europe, four of which run through Austria:
- RFC Scan-Med
- RFC Baltic-Adriatic
- RFC Rhine-Danube
- RFC Western Balkans-Eastern Mediterranean
Governance of the RFC
There are several committees responsible for decision-making, implementation, conducting market studies, and drawing up investment plans.
Executive Board
Role: strategic decisions
Composition: representatives ofnational authorities
Administrative Board
Responsibilities: Measures to implement the freight corridor plan, preparation of market studies, preparation of investment plans, coordination of planning for construction work along the corridor, establishment and operation of a one-stop shop (OSS) for train path allocation, and establishment of advisory groups for terminal operators and rail transport companies
Composition: Infrastructure managers and train path allocation bodies
Role of regulatory authorities
Regulatory authorities, such as Schienen-Control, are responsible for monitoring the one-stop shops.
They engage in close information exchange and serve as complaint offices, but can also act on their own initiative.
Infrastructure operators must provide the relevant regulatory authorities with the information required for the investigations. To facilitate this flow of information, cooperation agreements have been concluded between the regulatory authorities of the respective RFCs.
- Cooperation agreement between the regulatory authorities for the Scan-Med freight corridor (formerly RFC3)
- Cooperation agreement between regulatory authorities on the Baltic-Adriatic freight corridor (formerly RFC5)
- Cooperation agreement between regulatory authorities on the Rhine-Danube freight corridor ( formerly RFC9)
- Cooperation agreement between regulatory authorities in the Western Balkans-Eastern Mediterranean freight corridor (formerly RFC10)
In fulfillment of these agreements, Schienen-Control participates in coordination meetings.
Schienen-Control taken on the task of coordinating monitoring by the regulatory authorities along the "Scan-Med Corridor" (formerly RFC3).