The role of Infrastructure Managers (IM) should be taken into account in the assessment of the service quality delivered to customers. Involving IM in the bonus-penalty system included in public service contracts would foster an attitude that is more focused on the interests of the customer, says EPF. This is key to a reliable and attractive railway system.

Bonus-malus systems are useful incentives, because they encourage railway undertakings to improve their services. However, such systems do not take into account the responsibility of infrastructure managers. It would therefore seem desirable to set up a system of performance regime between operators and infrastructure managers, specifying the role of both the infrastructure manager and the railway undertakings operating on the network, in terms of the quality of the service provided to passengers. It is equally desirable for this procedure to be concluded between operators and infrastructure managers without the passenger being involved at any time.

The full position paper can be consulted here.