A proposal of multiline bidding based on the fourth railway package

Abstract

The European Commission has taken the decision to create a single market for railway traffic by the end of 2019. The fourth railway package aims to create a single market for railway services through technical standards and adoption of security certificates for the entire European Union. The objective is to create a single market for railway services in order to increase the number of passengers and volume of freight in Europe compared to other modes of transport. Following this line, we propose to grand licenses to two or more operators with the goal to obtain competition in the market. Granting full access to a network of lines, such as all long-distance lines, would provide greater commercial flexibility to the railway operators and allow the government to control the development of the market through an integral plan executed in a controlled series of expansions, ultimately to achieve competitive services in the market.