Brussels, Belgium – 2007-01-31 the General Assembly of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) approved the applications of eight more companies to
join the association. The membership of CER has reached 62 companies from 32
countries, double the number of three years ago.

The new members represent the diversity of railway companies in Europe. The majority
of new rail freight members reflects the dynamic of this newly liberalised market: The Hungarian freight operator MAV Cargo became a member after it separated from
MÁV in 2006. Baltijas Ekspresis is the first private freight railway undertaking registered in Latvia. The Bulgarian Railway Company is the first private freight railway undertaking
registered in Bulgaria in 2005. Servtrans Invest is a private freight railway undertaking
first registered in Romania in 2005. And finally CTL Rail is a private Polish freight
company.
Wiener Lokalbahnen AG is an integrated railway company offering local passenger
services and freight services and is a privately operated subsidiary of Vienna Corporation.
The Hungarian Railway Association is the third national association of railway
companies, after the British ATOC and Swedish ASTOC, to become a member in CER. It
was established only 2006 and represents four existing CER Members (C.E.R, Gysev, MÁV
and MÁV Cargo) as well as four other railway companies in Hungary.
Last but not least, the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) which is an integrated railway
undertaking and infrastructure company joined CER as an observer.

Aad Veenman, President of CER and CEO of Dutch Railways NS extended a warm welcome
to the new members: “The railways and infrastructure companies in Europe share the
same concern, i.e. make profitable business. In order to successfully serve their
customers they need appropriate infrastructure and a legislative framework, which
encourages rail transport. This is what our Community is striving for.”
Yesterday’s General Assembly of CER which brought together the more than 35 European
railway CEOs was opened by an exchange of views between CER and the new Head of
unit for Rail at the European Commission Maurizio Castelletti on current railway policy
issues.