2025 was a productive year for Forum Train Europe FTE. Together with our members and partners we advanced several important initiatives to create a better environment for passenger and freight market stakeholders, especially for cross‑border connections.
Key highlights from the year:
The Capacity Regulation reached a major milestone with the conclusion of the trilogue negotiations in November. FTE supported its members throughout the process by analyzing the proposals under discussion and their potential impact on the business.
We established a new Working Group on traffic management and operational topics – expanding FTE’s activities beyond capacity management and broadening the services we offer to members.
The FTE-organized pilot on Temporary Capacity Restrictions between Germany and Switzerland to test a collaborative approach with applicants, infrastructure managers and observers from neighboring countries.
Managing Director Edgar Schenk reflects on the year: “The conclusion of the Trilogue on the Capacity Regulation is a major milestone after years of preparation. It places significant trust in the sector and from 2026 on the sector will be measured against what it delivers. We have also been committed to collaboratively developing an improved planning process for TCRs and affected traffic, and we will continue this work next year, as track works remain a major challenge for railway undertakings.”
2025 made progress but it also underlined that challenges remain. We look forward to continuing our work with members and partners in 2026 – to turn cooperation into concrete, cross‑border solutions for the rail sector.