3rd Railway Package

The 3rd Railway Package is the legislative bundle adopted by the EU in October 2007 that opened international passenger rail to competition, standardised passenger rights, and introduced a European train driver licence. It built on the freight liberalisation of the preceding packages by targeting the passenger market specifically.

The package delivered three substantive changes. From 1 January 2010, any licensed railway undertaking gained the right to operate international passenger services across the EU, including cabotage — the right to pick up and set down passengers at intermediate domestic stops along an international route. This was the first time open access applied to passenger operations in EU law.

Passenger rights were harmonised through Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007, establishing minimum compensation standards for delays on long-distance and international services and guaranteeing non-discriminatory access for passengers with reduced mobility.

Separately, Directive 2007/59/EC created a common framework for train driver licensing, with a European licence valid across all EU networks — mandatory for Member States to transpose into national law by December 2009, with a full transition period running to October 2018 by which point all drivers were required to hold compliant licences and certificates.

Domestic passenger markets were explicitly excluded from the 2007 package following political resistance in the Council. A Commission review clause required a report on further liberalisation by 2012. That domestic opening eventually followed with the 4th Railway Package’s market pillar in 2016.