The 4th railway package 

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©AP Images/ European Union-EP  

The 4th railway package, tabled by the European Commission in January 2013, aims to improve the competitiveness of the rail sector and quality of rail services by removing administrative costs, introducing more competition in domestic passenger services and ensuring a level playing field for operators.

A three-way agreement on the “technical” files was reached by Parliament, the Council and the Commission in June 2015 and approved in Parliament’s Transport Committee in March 2016.  Parliament and Council negotiators then reached a provisional agreement on the “market” pillar of the railway package on 19 April.