Railway Infrastructure Access Rates in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Railway infrastructure access rates, as an important element of the costs affecting the services offered to railway clients, are an object of interest in the context of transport sustainability and the promotion of railway transport. The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has spawned a crisis that has affected the railway sector in a significant way. In October 2020, the European Commission published a Regulation establishing measures for a sustainable rail market in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The European Commission’s initiative of introducing a Regulation allowing for derogations from existing laws, as well as satisfying the urgent needs of the railway sector for the duration of the effects of the pandemic, may be a significant step towards a permanent leveling of the playing field for all of the branches competing in the transport sector. This article presents information in terms of the legal regulations concerning the charges for infrastructure use and outlines the assumptions of Regulation 2020/1429 (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council.