Margrethe Sagevik, of the International Union of Railways (UIC), addressed the issue of railways in mountain areas during her presentation at the CSD18 SWOMM Side Event.

The UIC is the Worldwide Association representing the Railway Sector, counting about 200 members from all continents. The scope of UIC mission is promoting the rail transport at a world level, in order to meet challenges of mobility and sustainable development.

The association is pursuing this goal in various ways. In particular, they act as providers, making available know how, technical/operational expertise as well as solutions, regulations, standards, best practises. Moreover, they may fulfil the role of facilitators, by exchanging platforms, proposing new ideas and concepts, protecting the members common interests as well as supporting development policies for key infrastructure projects. Furthermore, they accomplish developing tasks by proposing specifications, standards, interfaces, studies, interoperability for international rail corridors. Finally, UIC is also involved in forums, seminars, conferences, congresses organization (i.e. WCRR 2008, UIC Highspeed, Global Rail Freight Conference).

Thanks to all these actions, UIC supports cooperation as well as partnerships among interested parties, thus bringing the existing gap with regards to solutions for addressing climate changes and sustainable development (i.e. the SLoCAT, Partnership on Sustainable Low carbon Transport).

Filled in low carbon performance, the railway is a means of transport strongly sustainable oriented. It is also safer than others and it preserves from traffic congestion.

However, Ms Sagevik highlighted the problem of building new railways within mountain areas, which is a quite complex issue influenced by several factors. Indeed, such investments are not directly sustainable according to a purely financial criterion. In particular, in developing countries they could also be not worth, at least in a short run. Therefore, there is a set of important aspects to be included into the cost/benefit analysis.

From a technical point of view, when new rail infrastructures are built in the mountains, the topography has relevant impact on the costs. Gradiant and curve radius, the classification of soil and rock, the need for avalanche and rock fall protection, the number as well as lengh of bridges and tunnels have to be added to other ordinary expenses. From an operational point of view, the railway reveals to be only a part of the whole solution to sustainable mobility in mountain areas. Combined transport are also needed (i.e. ROLA: Rollende Landstrasse), as well as high speed services and passenger tourism services. With regard to the financial aspects, maintenance costs have to be added to the investment costs, depending on the amount of tunnels and bridges. The environmental classification of the area is also a driver, as the existing environmental and landscape protection measures limit the range of possible actions. In addition, strategic, political, cultural and social aspects have influenced typology and costs of the activities.

Significant steps were already moved in Switzerland. The Swiss population enshrined the modal shift into the Constitution in 1994, voting for the ‘Alpine Initiative’, which is reflecting the country’s move towards environmentally sustainable transport in the vulnerable Alpine ecosystem. Measures include: two new transalpine rail links, the ‘land Transport Agreement’, the open access to the Swiss rail network for cargo traffic, increasing countrywide the mileage-related heavy vehicle fees, generating 900 million Euros in 2007, subsidies and incentives for combined traffic. Then, revenues from the heavy vehicle fee are spent on improvements and extensions to rail infrastructure, and the Swiss corridors have decreased of 16% in trucks crossing the Alps since 2000.

Future scenarios are increasingly including railway as a part of the solution for sustainable mobility in mountain areas. Priorities are, on the one hand, maintaining the existing infrastructure for ’regional’ train services. On the other hand, new infrastructure should also be constructed, mainly tunnels for high speed and heavy freight services (national and international train services). For a more efficient system, the capacity should be increased in terms of train load and time saving. Railways will play an important role in achieving sustainable mobility, especially in sensitive mountainous regions.

However, railways are not enough to avoid problems with car traffic (as traffic jams or parking space) and attractive combinations of public transport are needed. Innovative solutions may also add electro-mobility for the last mile, special solutions for the transport of baggage, optimal information to the customer about transport chains, etc.

Ms Sagevik quoted the Switzerland experience for a second time, as several car-free destination have been created within the Alpine area and they have successfully build advantages through connection by railway and other public transports (e.g. Zermatt, Ascona, Mürren).

Margrethe Sagevik
Is an environmental economist who has been the past seven years a sustainable development senior adviser in the International Union of Railways (UIC) – the global association for cooperation between and promotion of railways, in Paris. Margrethe has been working in the rail sector for more than 10 years, with a focus on how to improve the sustainability performance of rail within the rail sector – and to promote rail as a part of the solution to combat climate change and achieve a sustainable development.

www.swomm.info/Docs/sagevik.ppt

An original idea was proposed by Frank Rinderknecht, inventor not new to eccentric projects in the automobile sector, in these days in Switzerland.

The “Rinspeed UC” (urban commuter) will be presented in March 2010, at the Geneva Motor Show. The UC is a little electrical car, 2,7 metres long, conceived for displacements in urban areas as well as to be integrated within the railway network for longer travels.

This car indeed has been designed to be directly recharged at the station within tailored wagons where to put the lithium battery during the travel. Once arrived at the destination, the charge will enable the car to drive in electrical mode more than 100 km.

Such characteristics let the car being ideal for commuters’ displacements, thus integrating public and private transport.

The idea in its visionary ease is mind-blowing even if its implementation is certainly not granted: would it be the umpteenth concept not being produced or in this occasion reality is closer to fantasy?

Related articles

http://www.rinspeed.com/pages/content/frames_e.htm

http://www.ilvelino.it/articolo.php?Id=1062995

http://www.quattroruote.it/news/articolo.cfm?codice=231421

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