Rail restructuring in Europe

Europe's railways are going through a period of radical restructuring in the drive to improve their efficiency and competitiveness. The emphasis is on fostering commercial freedom through a clearer separation of the roles of the State and of rail enterprises and through a progressive opening of access to rail infrastructure. This report examines reforms in over 30 countries from the Atlantic to the Urals, characterizing restructuring in terms of management independence, separation of infrastructure from operations and rights of access to rail infrastructure.