EU adopts new binding rules for rail data sharing
On Tuesday, the European Commission published binding EU rules to harmonise how rail data is shared across the bloc.
The act — Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/253 — sets common technical and operational requirements for data exchange between infrastructure managers, railway undertakings and authorised third parties.
The regulation also replaces the previous split approach to telematics rules for passenger and freight by repealing Commission Regulation (EU) No 1305/2014 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 454/2011.
What changes for rail operators and infrastructure managers
The regulation establishes a single EU technical specification for rail data sharing under the “Telematics TSI”, covering both freight and passenger processes.
For infrastructure managers and railway undertakings, the practical impact is a move to one harmonised requirements set for interfaces, data formats and exchange procedures, rather than maintaining parallel frameworks for different market segments.
The act also frames how authorised third parties can participate in rail data sharing, to create a consistent baseline for access and exchange across member states.
The Commission’s move formalises a compliance task for the sector, as IT stacks and operational processes built around the legacy TAP and TAF rules will need to be aligned to the unified specification.
What to watch: The transition from the repealed TAP/TAF regimes to the single Telematics TSI hinges on implementation sequencing and coordination across the rail value chain — including how quickly infrastructure managers, operators and third-party providers converge on consistent interfaces in day-to-day operations.