Network Access Made Easy

Guidelines for Railway Undertakings

Accessing the Austrian and/or EU railway infrastructure for the first time is a process involving several steps.

The following have the right to network access:

• Railway Undertakings (RUs) with their head office in Austria
• RUs with their head office in the EU or in Switzerland, with possible restrictions (see § 57 or the Railway Act (Eisenbahngesetz))

In order that a company may operate its own traffic on the ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG network, the following steps must be carried out:
 

Before an RU can operate, the following certificates for rail vehicles and personnel are also necessary:

Operating Licence (international) and Operating Concession (national)
The Operating Licence is the corporate authorisation of Railway Undertakings with their head office in Austria to carry out rail services on all European territory.(EC).

The Operating Concession is the authorisation to carry out rail services only within Austria and only for urban or suburban passenger traffic, or for regional, urban, or suburban freight traffic. The application for a Concession must show credibly that the planned service is in the public interest, and must also declare how the necessary funds should be raised.
BMVIT, Sektion IV, Abt. Sch 5, Eisenbahnsicherheitsbehörde (Rail Safety Authority)

BMVIT, Sektion IV, Abt. Sch 5, Eisenbahnsicherheitsbehörde (Rail Safety Authority)
Mag. Regina Roithner
Tel.: +43 1 711 62 65 2204
Fax: +43 1 711 62 2098
E-Mail: sch5@bmvit.gv.at

Further information:


Safety Certificate
To enable a Safety Certificate to be issued, the RU must prove that it has introduced a certified safety management system and that it can fulfil the requirements set out in the technical specifications for interoperability (TSI) and other relevant legal requirements and thus has the ability to control risks and guarantee safe traffic operations on the network.
In accordance with EU guidelines, Safety Certificates consist of two parts: a general section (“Section A”), and a specific section (“Section B”), which allows access to the rail network of a defined Infrastructure Manager.
Consequently, to obtain access to the rail network of ÖBB Infrastruktur AG, RUs with their head office outside Austria require only the Safety Certificate Section B additionally to a Safety Certificate issued in their home country.

BMVIT, Sektion IV, Abt. Sch 5, Eisenbahnsicherheitsbehörde (Rail Safety Authority)
Mag. Regina Roithner
Tel.: +43 1 711 62 65 2204
Fax: +43 1 711 62 2098
E-Mail: sch5@bmvit.gv.at

Details can be found at:

 

Requesting track capacity (path allocation)
The Allocation Body must allocate train paths to authorised applicants according to the principles of non-discrimination and efficient use of the infrastructure.
Paths may be ordered in the following ways:

• Path Order Form (see Network Statement Annexes)
• Online via the M-AMA Modular Application Management System (Modulares Auftragsmanagement)
• Pathfinder System – international path ordering (see Pathfinder Website www.pfndr.org)

Train path orders are the basis for timetable construction. Detailed information regarding the allocation of track capacity (such as ordering deadlines, allocation regulations etc.) can be found in the current ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG Network Statement (Schienennetz-Nutzungsbedingungen der ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG).

If all the above conditions are satisfied (Operating Licence/Concession plus Safety Certificate, and if a suitable train path can be matched to the application), then an Infrastructure Access Contract will be concluded. This regulates the general cooperation between ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG and the Railway Undertaking. Among the elements of the Infrastructure Access Contract are the General Terms and Conditions (Allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen (AGB)) of the Infrastructure Access Contract as well as the Train Path Agreement, which contains details of the allocated paths and any other services ordered.


OSS OneStopShop of the Network Access Dept. (ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG)
Tel.: +43 1 93000 33480
Fax: +43 1 93000 25480
E-Mail: oss.austria@oebb.at



Vehicle Licence, Type Approval
Before operating approval can be granted for a rail vehicle to enter into service, a Type Approval is required.

In many cases this is in fact not required (e.g. if the vehicle is licensed in the EU or in Switzerland). However the good condition of any safety-related components which are not used in the home country, but which are necessary here, must be checked. Systems and employee health and safety equipment are checked. Responsibility for this lies with the BMVIT or, in the case of unlinked railways, the relevant national authority.

BMVIT, Sektion IV, Abt. Sch 2
Tel.: +43 1 711 62 65 2211
Fax: +43 1 711 62 65 2299
E-Mail: sch2@bmvit.gv.at

Further details can be found at:
http://www.bmvit.gv.at/verkehr/eisenbahn/index.html

Network Compatibility Check and Rail Vehicle Licensing are carried out by the Infrastructure Operator ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG.
Before this step, public liability insurance or other provisions of equal value must be proven.