The European Commission’s proposal to amend the Directive governing the Weights and Dimensions of commercial road vehicles (96/53) is a cause for great concern for the rail freight sector.
UIP partnered up with CER, ERFA, UIC and UIRR and jointly commissioned a study to examine in detail the impacts of the proposed amendments. The results are clear: should the Commission’s proposal be enacted without substantial changes, the proposed measures would have disastrous consequences from a socio-economic and sustainability point of view.
The Commission proposal, by effectively enabling the cross‐border circulation of longer and heavier combinations on bilateral bases, undermines the rail freight ecosystem, the objective of a harmonized and synchronized multimodal system and the Green Deal objectives. Solutions that will impede rail freight transport to act as a viable alternative/complement to road transport will end up becoming a net negative for the EU logistics system and society as a whole.
Please find the study and the accompanying press release for your perusal on the right side.