The European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) has warned the European Parliament that competition in the rail freight sector is being “strangled” by an inadequate regulatory structure and monopolistic behaviour by existing operators.
There was a seminar in Brussels on September 3,hosted by Mr Michael Cramer MEP, chair of the European Parliament Transport Committee. At the meeting, ERFA told MEPs that while the European Union and Member States have paved the way for new entrants to gain a foothold in the rail freight market, they have left incumbent operators with the power to block and hinder smaller players. ERFA argues that this has allowed a handful of dominant rail freight operators to diminish or even push new entrants out of the market.