Why do we need interoperability?

Europe has many national railway systems that have evolved each in their own way over the years. Their technical standards are different, and this is an obstacle to cross-border rail traffic. With international trains it is thus usually the case that the engine has to be changed at the frontier station. In especially difficult cases passengers must change trains or goods must be reloaded. Expensive national licensing systems make it hard to use multi-vehicle systems which can run on more than one railway network. There is also a need to harmonise infrastructure because, for example, of differences in platform heights or command and signalling systems.

What does interoperability mean?

Interoperability means making the trans-European rail network able to handle traffic safely and uninterruptedly. This ability derives from the whole body of technical and operational rules and regulations which have to be in place in order for the basic requirements of the interoperability directives to be met.

Aim of interoperability

• to establish a minimum level of technical harmonisation of the various national railway systems, ensuring seamless movement of rail traffic throughout the Community;
• to facilitate, improve and develop cross-border rail transport services within the European Union (EU) and with non-EU countries;
• gradually to complete the single market for the construction and efficient functioning of the trans-European rail system.

Tasks for the BMVIT

• transposition of European requirements (for example EU directives) into national law;
• participation in European forums such as the safety and interoperability committee which assists the European Commission ("Article 21 Committee") and working groups of the European Railway Agency;
• drafting and approval of key documents for European bodies;
• Specialist Section IV/Rail 2 – Completion (Fachabteilung IV/Schiene 2 – Vollzug) also provides information on the progress of interoperability in briefings and presentations.

European Union rules on interoperability

• Directive 96/48/EC of 23 July 1996 on the interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system;
• Directive 2001/16/EC of 19 March 2001 on the interoperability of the trans-European conventional rail system;
• Directive 2004/50/EC of 29 April 2004 (corrigendum to the above two interoperability directives);
• Decision 1692/96/EC of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network and decision amending it (Decision No 884/2004/EC of 29 April 2004);
• Technical specifications for interoperability (TSIs) of the trans-European high-speed rail system (May 2002);
• Decision revising the technical specifications for interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system (21 June 2007);
• Technical specifications for interoperability of the conventional rail system relating to various subsystems (see link at the end of this page).

Official texts and further information can be found in EUR-LEX, the online database of European Union law, and in the European Commission's web pages on "Transport ® Rail ® Interoperability".

Committee work

The European Commission is assisted by a committee in its work on the subject of interoperability of the trans-European rail system. The legal basis for this body is Article 21 of Directive 96/48/EC. The committee is made up of representatives of the Member States and is chaired by the European Commission. Austria is represented on this committee by Railways Group of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT).

Tasks of the committee

• to consider all questions concerning the interoperability of the trans-European rail system;
• to consider all questions concerning implementation of the interoperability directives;
• to consider and take decisions on all measures necessary for the drawing up and implementation of
  • technical specifications for interoperability and
  • rules on railway safety.