The technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package created two complementary authorisation strands: the Single Safety Certificate for railway undertakings and the vehicle authorisation for placing on the market. Both are issued through ERA’s One-Stop-Shop, either by ERA or, for single-country use, at the applicant’s choice by the national safety authority.
Single Safety Certificate
Under Directive (EU) 2016/798 every railway undertaking needs a Single Safety Certificate covering the type and extent of its operations. ERA issues it where the area of operation extends to more than one Member State; for operations confined to one Member State the applicant may choose between ERA and the national safety authority. The certificate rests on the undertaking’s safety management system, assessed against Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/762; supervision after certification lies with the national safety authorities under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/761.
Vehicle authorisation for placing on the market
Under Directive (EU) 2016/797 ERA issues the vehicle authorisation where the intended area of use covers more than one Member State; for single-country use the applicant again chooses between ERA and the national safety authority. Applications run through the One-Stop-Shop under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/545. The authorisation is linked to an area of use; extending that area later is a separate, usually lighter, procedure. Before first use on a given route the railway undertaking must check route compatibility.
Interaction with TSIs and national rules
The authorisation assessment checks conformity with the applicable TSIs and with any notified national technical rules. The space for national rules has been progressively narrowed: under Directive 2016/797 Member States had to review and notify them, and ERA classifies them in its single rules database. Where national rules remain — typically for open points and specific cases — the national safety authority assesses them within the OSS process.
Why it matters for rolling-stock financing
The authorisation is part of the collateral. A lender should know the authorised area of use and its conditions, whether the vehicle type has authorisation-in-conformity-with-type status for follow-on units, and what a TSI change would require. For re-deployment after a transport contract ends, the area of use defines the realistic secondary market — which is why multi-country authorisations are increasingly sought even for fleets ordered for a single German network.
Selected references
Directive (EU) 2016/797 · Directive (EU) 2016/798 · Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/545 · Delegated Regulations (EU) 2018/761 and 2018/762 · Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/763 · Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/250 (templates for EC declarations and certificates).
Related topic notes
- Track access & capacity allocation · Track-access charges
- Fourth Railway Package · TSI · Safety certification & vehicle authorisation · ECM
- Freight corridors & combined transport · Passenger rights · State aid for rail · Altmark
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.