New EU rules on railway capacity management
New EU rules on planning and allocation of railway capacity have been adopted. The rules change the framework for how capacity is planned, coordinated and allocated.
The purpose is more efficient exploitation of infrastructure and better coordination of traffic across land borders.
The rules follow regulation (EU) 2026/1184, which came into effect on June 11th, 2026, and applies from June 12th, 2026. However, the new capacity processes are being phased in gradually and will have full practical effect from the change in timetable in December 2030.
Changes in planning
The rules entail that planning will commence earlier and proceed over a longer period.
The current model with primarily yearly planning will be continued through a transitional period but will be gradually supplied by multi-year and more structured planning tools.
The full new capacity model will be implemented with the timetable 2030/2031 at the latest, where the new processes for strategic planning and capacity allocation will be fully applicable.
The planning will be divided in:
- Strategic planning
The infrastructure manager will develop multi-year capacity assessments which as a starting point will cover a horizon of up to 5 years. This shall be fully implemented by 2029 at the latest. - Capacity allocation
The yearly timetable (continuously the main mechanism until 2030) will be supplied by multi-year capacity agreements and more flexible allocation types. The new agreement types will be applicable from 2027 but will only become mandatory on a larger scale in 2030. - Changes in allocated capacity
Uniform EU rules, including cancellations and rearrangements, will be phased in from 2026 and fully applicable by 2028 at the latest.
Significance for applicants
For railway companies and other applicants, the rules mean a longer planning horizon.
Applicants will already from 2027 increasingly be met with requirements of earlier submission of capacity needs, especially for international and multi-year traffic concepts.
The rules shall support, among others:
- more long-sighted planning of train traffic (fully applicable from 2030)
- better framework for international connections (gradual phase-in from 2026-2029)
- earlier and more systematic information on track work (from 2027)
- more uniform allocation processes (fully implemented 2028-2030)
- clearer framework for changes in allocated capacity (from 2026)
- increased transparency in prioritization of applicants (ongoing phase-in towards 2030)
Disputes over capacity can still be brought before the national supervisory body which from 2026 will have broadened competence to supervise both strategic planning and the ongoing capacity allocation.
Significance for infrastructure managers
Infrastructure managers will have a more central role in the multi-year capacity planning.
The new requirements will gradually be phased in from 2026 and shall be fully implemented in 2029-2030 at the latest.
It includes, among others:
- multi-year capacity planning (mandatory from 2029)
- strengthened coordination with other infrastructure managers within the EU (from 2026)
- earlier and more formalized market involvement
- more systematic planning of trackwork (from 2027)
- uniform handling of changes in capacity (from 2026-2028)
- increased requirements for documentation and transparency (ongoing tightening until 2030)
Coordination across country borders
The rules strengthen the coordination between the infrastructure managers in the EU through a formalized collaboration in ENIM (European Network of Infrastructure Managers).
The network will be established and expanded from 2026 and by 2028 at the latest support common methods of capacity planning and handling of international train connections.
Simultaneously the cooperation between the national supervisory bodies of ENRRB which from 2026 will have a more active role in uniform interpretation and application of rules.
Significance for passengers
The rules are aimed at the actors of the railway sector.
For passengers, however, they can have indirect significance in the form of:
- more stable timetables from 2030
- better coordination of international connections from 2027-2030
- more predictable planning of trackwork from 2027
Phase-in
The rules came into effect June 11th, 2026, and are applicable from June 12th, 2026.
The phase-in happens gradually towards the timetable change in December 2030 where the full model for capacity control will be implemented.
Until then, existing national processes and the new EU rules will be applied parallel, depending on area and implementation phase.