RAIL
Legal Solutions
In our focus area of the railway industry, namely rail vehicle technology, railway infrastructure, and transport logistics, we advise and represent our international clients in the development and implementation of their strategic objectives.
Focal points of our services include:
Approval and Certification
Legal support in working with public supervisory or regulatory authorities, such as the Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahnbundesamt) on national and EU
legal issues, including ECM certification, initial commissioning, declarations of conformity, and TSI
Public Procurement
Advice and representation in public procurement proceedings and on German or European Union public subsidies
Project Development
Drafting agreements for technology transfers, i.a. with legal focus on intellectual property, licensing, and technology development
Contracts
Contractual agreements for railway companies, railway transport companies, manufacturers of rail vehicles, and transport logistics service providers, both internationally and nationally
Strategic Collaboration
Structuring and establishing Joint Ventures, overseeing legal aspects of cooperation and partnership agreements. Support as legal project coordinator
International M&A Projects
Legal coverage of the entire process, like due diligence, contract negotiations and drafts of the contracts, formation of the new companies
Railroad
Representation in permitting processes to establish new private railroads or closure of private railroads in Germany
For companies requiring an initial overview of EU-specific regulatory areas within the rail sector, we have prepared a brief summary of key information below:
Scope, limits, and efforts towards harmonisation
02.2026 National Rules in the EU Rail System Over the last decade EU railway law has gradually moved from national competences towards a more central legal framework. The Fourth Railway Package reassigned competences, tightened technical harmonisation standards and...
Responsibility framework for railway vehicles in the EU
03.2026 Entity in Charge of Maintenance in European Union (EU) Railway Law In the European Union’s railway system, safety responsibility does not end once a vehicle is authorised for use. EU law requires that every railway vehicle (as defined in in Article 3 [21] of...
Common signalling framework for the European railway network.
03.2026 European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is a central element of the European Union’s (EU) transport policy. Its objective is to establish a common signalling and train control system across the...
Access to infrastructure, operational responsibility and dispute mechanisms under EU law
03.2026 Infrastructure Managers vs Railway Undertakings – Allocation of Responsibility in EU Rail Operations Rail transport in the European Union depends on close cooperation between infrastructure managers and railway undertakings. Infrastructure managers operate and...