Development of rail freight in Europe: what regulation can and cannot do

The project’s objective is to understand why competition has been successfully implemented in some cases, and why, in other cases, it has on the contrary led to a decline in the modal share for rail freight. The studies provides an overview of the state of rail freight transport in a selected number of Member States with regard to market share, economic performance, rail regulation and political framework conditions. Against the above background, this policy papers outlines recommendations on what regulation can and cannot achieve in the field of rail freight transport. The project focuses on three sets of issues: structural factors affecting demand, organisational challenges faced by rail operating companies and their responses, and challenges for rail freight regulation.