Moving on from "Annual, Manual and National"

I was pleased to contribute to the RailNetEurope (RNE) Rail Capacity Summit 2026, joining infrastructure managers, railway undertakings, national authorities, regulators, rail customers’ organisations and the European Commission for a constructive discussion on the implementation of the new Rail Capacity Regulation (expected to be finalised in co-legislation mid-2026). 

My motto was Moving on from "Annual, Manual and National".

Joint commitment from participants to make capacity planning and allocation more reliable, digital, and fully interoperable across borders, with a strong EU and customer orientation dimension. 
 
At the European Union Agency for Railways, we support this new important regulation by: 

• Ensuring harmonised requirements through the Telematics TSI (freshly published in the Official Journal of the EU);
• Fostering data‑driven monitoring and transparency to assess cross‑border performance in the Single European Rail Area;
• Strengthening cooperation with RailNetEurope (RNE) and all stakeholders for a common objective - seamless and safe rail operations. 

Well maintained and developed rail infrastructure in the EU, complemented by ERTMS deployment, are key ingredients for optimised capacity management. 

ERA thanks RailNetEurope (RNE) and all panellists for the open discussions. We are ready to work hands-on to support the success of the new Regulation. 

Watch the ERA Webinar held on 10 March 2026, designed to support stakeholders and partners by providing information on the new Telematics TSI.

This article is part of On Track with the Director, offering a personal window into the thoughts, insights and experiences of Oana Gherghinescu, Executive Director of ERA.