Rail infrastructures

Push for rail infrastructure

In the past decades, investments have been made in road infrastructure throughout Europe, while railways have often been neglected.

 

Investments in rail infrastructure are often driven by commercially successful long-distance passenger transport. This creates a vicious circle: insufficient capacity is provided for the specific requirements of freight transport – long, heavy, high, slower trains. The resulting inefficiencies and productivity losses further reduce the attractiveness and economic success of rail freight transport.

 

In order to shift freight traffic from road to rail, a Europe-wide, coordinated, long-term infrastructure plan is required.

 

Positions of Hupac

  • Purposeful expansion of EU freight transport corridors in terms of capacity, quality and continuous interoperability
  • Provide connections to the NEAT railway link in the north and south in due time
  • Increase rail productivity: longer trains (700 to 750 m) and higher train frequency through uniform train safety systems (ETcS)
  • Consistent expansion of the Gotthard corridor for 4-metre semi-trailers by 2020
  • Benchmarking and effective control of infrastructure costs: track and energy prices must remain affordable
  • Promote noise abatement through a bonus for low-noise freight wagons 
  • Revise priorities: establish equal rights for passenger and freight transport
  • Encourage investments in the technology of standardised European, industrially productive combined transport; avoid isolated solutions.
  • Eliminate terminal bottlenecks, for example in Rotterdam, Antwerp, Rhine/Ruhr, Eastern Italy, Poland: “No combined transport without terminals!”.