PRIME, the European Platform of Rail Infrastructure Managers in Europe, elects Alain Quinet as industry co-chair and welcomes ÖBB Infrastruktur AG as a new member.

On 19th November 2015 in Brussels (BE), the high-level Platform of Rail Infrastructure Managers in Europe (PRIME) elected Alain Quinet, Director-General Delegate of SNCF Réseau, as PRIME’s industry co-chair, to work alongside the European Commission to carry forward the platform’s work over the coming year. At the same meeting, PRIME welcomed the new signatory, ÖBB Infrastruktur AG (AT) as PRIME member.

Henrik Hololei, Director General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission concluded: “I congratulate Alain Quinet on his election and am delighted to see ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG join the platform. Both developments support our efforts to find the best possible solutions for financing, safety and digital innovation in the sector”

Alain Quinet said: “Since its foundation in 2013, PRIME has evolved to become the platform par excellence for the strategic dialogue between the Commission and between infrastructure managers themselves. PRIME works closely with customers and regulators alike. My aim is to continue building on this specific strength of PRIME and to develop the links between the strategic and technical levels”.

Olivier Onidi, the co-chair representing DG MOVE, congratulated Alain Quinet on his election and acknowledged the value of the advice provided by IMs, emphasising the importance of input from the industry to the Commission.

The 2016 work programme was developed and adopted in close cooperation with DG MOVE, the sub-group chairs and the new industry co-chair. PRIME members reiterated their intention to continue focussing over the next year on safety culture, digitalisation, performance and benchmarking, current threats to security, infrastructure financing, rail freight corridors and the 4th Railway Package.

At today’s 7th plenary session, PRIME members presented the results achieved so far, including the work of its five subgroups and considered the policy updates from DG MOVE and the European Railway Agency. They also discussed the future challenges facing the transport sector and various opportunities for rail infrastructure managers to embrace them.

***

The Platform for Rail Infrastructure Managers in Europe (PRIME) was created in 2013 and is the first platform involving both the European Commission and CEOs of the rail infrastructure management industry. PRIME works by cooperative dialogue and has three essential functions: firstly, as an early-warning system between the European Commission and the industry to flag up problems and identify possible solutions in the policy domain; secondly, as a test mechanism to receive informal input on legislative initiatives and their implementation; and thirdly, as a place of learning for the European Commission and infrastructure managers, to improve their mutual understanding of each other’s activities. PRIME currently has 24 members – the European Commission, 19 infrastructure managers and four European associations.