Entitled Development of Rail Freight in Europe: What Regulation Can and Cannot Do, CERRE's studies focus on three sets of issues: structural factors affecting demand, organisational challenges faced by rail operating companies and their responses, and challenges for rail freight regulation. The studies also provide an overview of the state of rail freight transport in a selected number of member states – Belgium, France, Italy and United Kingdom – with regard to market share, economic performance, rail regulation and political framework conditions.
The reports highlight that competition is now a reality for rail freight in Europe and the development of rail freight business needs a stable regulatory horizon. "One way or another the stakeholders in the railway sector will have to let go of the natural monopoly, because only through the arrival of new competitors will the impasse of old habits gradually be broken" the study concludes.
