European railways elect PKP CEO Alan Beroud as new association Chair, renew solidarity with Ukrainian colleagues

European railways elect PKP CEO Alan Beroud as new association Chair, renew solidarity with Ukrainian colleagues

Europe's leading rail CEOs, members of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), have elected the association's new Management Committee, to be led by Alan Beroud, CEO of Polish State Railways (PKP Group). The new board will take office in January 2026 for a two-year term. Outgoing CER Chair Andreas Matthä, CEO of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) will step down after six fruitful years with the thanks and appreciation of the entire membership. The rail community also reaffirmed its solidarity with Ukrainian colleagues represented by CEO Oleksandr Pertsovsky.

Gathered in Gdansk, Poland, for the 76th CER General Assembly, major railways from across Europe voted on the composition of their association's Management Committee for the 2026-2027 term, including a new Chair and four Vice-Chairs.

Andreas Matthä, CEO of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), is coming to the end of his third term as CER Chair and will be replaced in the new year by Alan Beroud, CEO of Polish State Railways (PKP Group). Mr Matthä will remain an asset to the leadership team as Vice Chair. The rest of the team is comprised of returning board members with the addition of Mr Ivan Bednárik, CEO of ŽSR, the national rail infrastructure manager of Slovakia. CEO Marc Wengler of CFL (Luxembourg) leaves the CER Management Committee after many years of dedicated service.

CER Management Board 2026-2027

Chair: Alan Beroud (PKP CEO)

Vice Chairs: Vincent Ducrot (SBB CEO), Sophie Dutordoir (SNCB/NMBS CEO), Andreas Matthä (ÖBB CEO), Jiří Svoboda (SZCZ Director General)

Members: Ivan Bednárik (ŽSR CEO), Stefano Donnarumma (FS Italiane CEO), Jean-Pierre Farandou (SNCF CEO), Álvaro Fernandez Heredia (RENFE Chairman-CEO), Artis Grinbergs (LDz CEO), Zsolt Hegyi (MÁV Chairman-CEO), Wouter Koolmees (NS President), Michal Krapinec (ČD CEO), Egidijus Lazauskas (LTG CEO), Oliver Wolff (VDV Managing Director), and in due course the CEO of Deutsche Bahn.

Renewed commitment of solidarity and support

Attending the General Assembly was Mr Oleksandr Pertsovsky, CEO of Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia). Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the railway company has become a critical lifeline for both humanitarian and economic resilience in the country, facing unimaginable hardships from daily strikes on its infrastructure to cyberattacks. CER members expressed their steadfast support and solidarity with the brave Ukrainian colleagues risking their lives and renewed their commitment to the 2022 Declaration pledging assistance to Ukraine's railways and reconstruction efforts.

A sector representing 1.4% of EU GDP

The new CER board will take office during a decisive time for the rail sector as the EU fixes its long-term spending priorities amidst renewed competitiveness ambitions and climate commitments. With a network spanning 201,000 kilometres, European railways handle around 8 billion passenger trips annually, while also offering sustainable freight services for key industries. In addition to their strategic importance in connectivity and sustainability, railways significantly contribute to the European economy and employment, supporting a total contribution of €247 billion to the EU27 GDP (equivalent to 1.4% of the bloc's total GDP in 2023) and over 3.1 million jobs economy-wide. More information about the economic footprint of railways is available in a new study by Oxford Economics, accessible here.

CER Chair Andreas Matthä (ÖBB) who has led CER since 2020 said: "Europe has undergone profound change over the past six years: ambitious climate policies, the pandemic, a war on our doorstep leading to millions of displaced people and an energy crisis. In all these moments, the railway sector responded quickly. We were not bystanders, but part of the European solution. Today, railways are more important than ever, both for achieving climate neutrality and as the backbone of European security. I thank CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola for his excellent leadership in all those years. And I congratulate CEO Alan Beroud of PKP for his election as new Chairman. In the coming years, the railway sector - and CER along with it - will need to address key issues such as military mobility, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), and the pressing challenges of European freight transport. Alan Beroud's chairmanship ensures that CER benefits from competent, forward-thinking, and trustworthy leadership."

CER Chair-elect Alan Beroud (PKP) said: "I am grateful for the trust and support received form the sector. I appreciate the railways' cooperation within CER, which is the leading sectoral association at EU level. Over the past few years, Chairman Andreas Matthä and Executive Director Alberto Mazzola have shown how to ensure the efficient functioning of our organisation. As the future Chairman, active efforts to promote and develop rail will also be important for me, especially in the context of the current challenging geopolitical situation. We must remain united as a European rail family in this time of crises."

CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola said: "CER has been very fortunate to benefit from the direction of such a seasoned and knowledgeable railwayman as Andreas Matthä. I heartily thank him for his dedication and unfailing guidance to the association these past six years, including their challenges such as the pandemic and highlights like the European Year of Rail. I also thank Alan Beroud for accepting to take up the role of CER Chair in the next term. I look forward to working with him and to the fresh impetus he will bring as the European rail sector continues to grow as a strong partner for sustainability, resilience and growth."

Pictures from the General Assembly are available here.

Download below the full press release.