THE Belgian government has approved a proposal by Belgium’s federal minister of mobility, Jean-Luc Crucke, to restructure the passenger rail market to bring it into line with European Union (EU) legislation concerning the operation of public service obligation (PSO) passenger rail services by 2032.
The current PSO contract between the government and Belgian National Railways (SNCB), which ends in 2032, was awarded by direct grant in 2023 just before new EU legislation banning the direct award of PSO contracts was introduced in December 2023 as part of the Fourth Railway Package.
The restructuring will include:
- the gradual opening of PSO passenger rail services to competition through a step-by-step process under which contracts will be competitively tendered
- the negotiation and direct award of expiring SNCB contracts for services for which no tender has been issued by the time the current PSO contract expires
- the creation of a strong federal public authority responsible for the strategic planning of passenger rail services and the management of contractual arrangements through tenders, with the necessary staffing and technical and regulatory expertise, and
- the introduction of management and coordination tools to ensure technical interoperability, timetable coordination between public services and commercial passenger operations, and the efficient use of the rail network and rolling stock.
The reforms will also support a uniform fare structure and integrated ticketing system across the public transport market.
Crucke will now design the new structure and prepare a timetable for its phased implementation, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval.
