In accordance with the 2008 Guidelines on State aid for railway undertakings, on 25 November 2020 the Commission has approved the measures the Austrian Government adopted in order to support the rail freight and passenger sectors in the context of the coronavirus outbreak.

With regard to the freight transport, a first measure amends the 2020 budget of a support scheme previously approved by the Commission, and supporting rail services as for the single wagonload traffic (SWT), the unaccompanied combined transport (UCT) and the accompanied combined transport (so-called “RoLa”), which will cover grants for a total amount of approximately €150 million. A second measure, furthermore, will enable the Government to relieve rail freight operators of the costs related to track access charges during the period 1 March to 31 December 2020 through an estimated budget of approximately €115 million. This way, the loss of market shares to road operators will be prevented, which in turn will encourage a further shift of freight traffic from road to rail.

With regard to the passengers’ sector, instead, the Government will waive the payment of track access charges due by operators during the period 8 October to 31 December 2020, in such a way to preserve the competitiveness of private rail undertakings operating on a commercial basis and to ensure that normal service levels are maintained as well as citizens’ mobility throughout the coronavirus outbreak.

According to the Commission, the new measures are beneficial for the environment and for mobility, as they support rail transport while also decreasing road congestion, and are in line with the recent Regulation (EU) 2020/1429 establishing measures for a sustainable rail market.

Marco Stillo