Poland - rail network access charge rise alarm
Puls Biznesu: 18 October 2006
The Polish rail regulator, The Office of Railway Transport, has approved infrastructure access charges for 2007 put forward by national rail infrastructure operator PKP PLK as demanded by European Union rail liberalisation czars.
The increase in prices which are contained in the new charges are highly unpopular with passenger and freight rail operators, who do not plan to give up their protests against them.
The operators estimate that the increases will mean they will pay up to 20% more for access to the rails, while PKP PLK says that there will be an increase of only 1.7%.
PKP PLK requires the increase in access charges because it has been promised PLN 460m (EUR 116.92m) for its ongoing activities in 2007, while it estimates that it needs between EUR 128m and EUR 154m. It is predicted that the access charges rise will lead to a drop in passenger numbers and freight volumes.