Forum Train Europe (FTE) and RailNetEurope (RNE) are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of a Common Understanding on Compensation Measures.
Being part of the project Commercial Conditions, members of FTE and RNE held from February to May 2025 several dialogues. The main focus of the exchange was on the aspect of compensations, and it resulted into a Common Understanding. You may find there:
- Definition of penalty and compensation (difference)
- List of potential cases, where the impact might require compensation
- Current methodologies used nationally: standardised rates, lump sums and cost-proof reimbursement, while the first two are strongly preferred.
- Practice of “traction support”, which can be used to mitigate the impacts of line closure for major infrastructure works, where support to RUs is provided on traction extra-costs on the alternative routes (see more details here).
This Common Understanding is the result of close collaboration between RUs and IMs, reflecting a shared commitment to fair and efficient solutions in the European rail sector. It is designed to serve as a reference for national implementations and to promote alignment across borders.
The full text of the Common Understanding is available here.