The Community of Railway Companies and European Infrastructure (CER) and the European Maritime Ports Organization (ESPO) have presented a joint position document in which they identify shared priorities to improve the connection between ports and the railway in Europe and optimize the performance of hinterland logistics chains. The text, released on March 9, 2026, is based on the premise that ports and railways are fundamental pillars of the European transport system and that, in the current geopolitical, economic, and climatic context, efficient and well-coordinated port-rail connectivity is essential for competitiveness, resilience, military mobility, and sustainability on the continent.
The document articulates its proposals around three main axes. The first is the simplification of the regulatory framework applicable to the port-rail interface. CER and ESPO point out that the operational reality of port railway networks differs significantly from that of the national railway network: the circulation speeds are significantly lower, the traffic is predominantly freight with a limited presence of passenger trains, and shunting operations occupy a large proportion of the activity. These particularities, both organizations argue, should translate into a specific legal regime that takes into account the operational and infrastructural needs of the port environment. In line with the regulatory simplification agenda currently promoted by the European Commission, CER and ESPO urge EU legislators to collaborate with sector experts to examine how the European railway regulatory framework applicable to the port interface can be simplified, without compromising security or the interoperability of operations. The declared aim is to improve the efficiency and operational effectiveness of railways in ports and their connections with the hinterland, without introducing additional administrative or regulatory requirements that contradict the purpose of simplification.
The second axis of the document addresses the need for better coordination between the port and railway ecosystems. CER and ESPO observe that infrastructural bottlenecks and operational challenges at the port-rail interface continue to affect the efficiency, capacity, and reliability of logistics chains. These problems, according to both organizations, often stem from fragmented planning, the complexity of interfaces among various stakeholders, the coexistence of different IT systems, the limited exchange of data, and the costs associated with the last mile of rail transport. To address these challenges, the document calls for closer coordination among port authorities, infrastructure managers, freight transport companies, and terminal operators. Priority actions include better coordinated planning and investment, streamlining operational processes, and greater digitization that encompasses data exchange and the standardization of IT systems.
The third pillar of the joint position refers to the need for a coherent European framework backed by adequate funding. CER and ESPO emphasize that strengthening railway connections in the port hinterland, including the lines linking ports with inland corridors, requires a European policy aligned with the goals of transport, industry, security, resilience, and climate. Both organizations highlight the role of community instruments such as the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), and funding directed towards military mobility. In the context of negotiations for the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework, CER and ESPO demand a sufficient European transport budget and particularly a Connecting Europe Facility endowed with at least 100 billion euros, a figure that has broad support within the European transport sector. Community grants, they argue, remain essential to address infrastructural shortcomings, prepare infrastructures for dual civil-military use, and support projects with high European added value.
Alberto Mazzola, executive director of CER, has stated that a solid and well-functioning port-rail interface is essential for competitiveness, resilience, and the ecological transition of Europe, and added that the simplification of operations and regulation, along with investment and capacity increase, will unleash the full potential of rail transport in port hinterland and increase its market share. Mazzola has emphasized CER's commitment to building alliances beyond the freight rail sector, including in the area of military mobility.
For her part, Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of ESPO, has indicated that at a time when Europe is focused on simplification and relieving the regulatory burden, a critical assessment of the legislative framework applicable to the port railway network is necessary to identify where rules can be simplified. Ryckbost has noted that the operational reality within ports and in the port railway network differs significantly from that of the national railway network and has valued that this joint statement occurs at a time when Europe needs well-connected ports to consolidate its resilience and competitiveness.
CER groups together nearly 70 railway companies, national associations in the sector, infrastructure managers, and vehicle leasing companies, representing 78% of the length of the railway network, 81% of freight rail business, and approximately 94% of passenger railway operations in EU countries, EFTA, and states in the process of accession. ESPO, for its part, represents port authorities, associations, and administrations of maritime ports from 22 EU member states, plus Norway, and has observer members in Albania, Iceland, Israel, Montenegro, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.