Page 8 - Annual report - Araf 2014

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TRAIN PATHS: ARAF USED AUXILIARY REGULATORY POWERS FOR THE FIRST TIME
4. WHO CAN COMPLAIN TO ARAF?
Any company, transport authority entitled to request train paths or any infrastructre manager can complain to Araf, providing it considered that it had been unfairly treated, or the victim of a discrimination, or wronged in any other way related to rail network access.
WE ENSURE FAIR COMPETITION IN RAILWAY MATTERS
Araf ensures that the market is run competitively. Araf’s investigatory services contribute their expertise to prepare the board’s recommendations, opinions and decisions. The Secretary- General is appointed by Araf chairman. Alexis Vuillemin (see picture above) was appointed at the beginning of 2015 as the successor of Michel Vermeulen.
ffPursuant to the settling of a dispute between ECR, VFLI, Europorte and TM3 (four freight railway undertakings) and RFF, and in order to improve those incentive mechanisms applicable when a manager belatedly modifies or cancels train paths that had been reserved by railway undertakings, or if the latter overbook train paths, Araf adopted two decisions on 15 July 2014:
• the first decision was on the quality of train paths allocated by the infrastructure manager;
• the second decision was on rules applicable to the reservation of train paths for works.
The Ministry for Transport confirmed both decisions at the end of January 2015. The regulator thus clarified the rules applicable to train path allocation and introduced new obligations for SNCF Réseau,
particularly for the organisation and stability of works, which are both essential components of any optimised management of rail network capacity.
These decisions meet the high expectations of railway undertakings on the services rendered by the infrastructure manager. They should also contribute to the on-going reflection on the future multi-annual contract between the French State and SNCF Réseau provided under the new rail reform legislation that entered into force on 1st January 2015.
WE HOLD « AUXILIARY REGULATORY » POWERS Confirmed by the Minister for Transport, these regulatory arrangements specify access conditions to both the rail network and service facilities.
Araf 2014 annual report
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Alexis Vuillemin is Araf’s Scretary-General since January 2015.