After more than five years at the helm, Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB, will hand over the presidency of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) on 31 December 2025. His successor will be Alan Beroud, CEO of Polish operator PKP, who will take office on 1 January 2026.
Matthä is the longest-serving CER president, having held the role since 2020, including a period of interim leadership beforehand. During his tenure, he played a central role in shaping European rail policy.
"In a time of ambitious climate policy, years marked by the pandemic, a war on Europe’s doorstep, millions of displaced people, grain transports and an energy crisis, we as a railway sector reacted quickly," Matthä said. "We were not bystanders, but part of the solution. Today, railways are more than ever the key to climate neutrality – and at the same time an important factor in European security."
Under Matthä’s leadership, the CER engaged in several major EU initiatives: the European Commission’s action plan for cross-border passenger rail, a new regulation on rail infrastructure capacity use, and the revision of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) regulation.
The transition to PKP marks the next chapter for the Brussels-based rail association, which represents more than 70 railway and infrastructure companies across Europe. Matthä will remain involved as Vice-Chair of CER, continuing to support the organisation’s work.
CER at a glance
- Full name: Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies
- Founded: 1988, Brussels-based
- Members: 70+ railway and infrastructure companies across Europe
- Focus areas: EU transport policy, sustainability, TEN-T network, cross-border passenger rail, rail freight competitiveness
- Outgoing president: Andreas Matthä (ÖBB CEO), term 2020–2025
- Incoming president: Alan Beroud (PKP CEO), from 1 January 2026
