The Energy Roadmap states that electricity will have to play a much greater role as a source of power for transport if greenhouse gas emissions are to be cut by more than 80% by 2050. As the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) points out, about 50% of the European rail network is already electrified and there is no technical barrier to electrifying the rest of it. By contrast there are considerable technical challenges to electrifying road transport.
Rail could benefit from European transport and energy roadmaps
THE publication today by the European Commission (EC) of its Energy Roadmap 2050 and the endorsement by the European Parliament of the EC's Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area could benefit rail considerably if there is political backing for more railway investment.
THE publication today by the European Commission (EC) of its Energy Roadmap 2050 and the endorsement by the European Parliament of the EC's Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area could benefit rail considerably if there is political backing for more railway investment.
The European association of rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM) would like to see intermediate targets to reduce transport greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020.
The EC's transport white paper calls for 30% of road freight moving over 300km to transfer to rail and water by 2030, rising to 50% 2050, by which time the majority of medium-distance passenger traffic should also go by rail. In addition, it wants the core TEN-T network to be completed by 2030 and for Europe's main ports and airports to have adequate rail links by 2050.
"Through further electrification of the rail network in the next few years and encouraging modal shift towards rail, as envisaged in the transport white paper, the rail sector can play an important role in leading the way towards lower carbon transport," says Mr Libor Lochman, CER's deputy executive director. But to achieve these goals there will have to be a massive increase in investment to boost railway capacity, which will require strong political support.
Tags: Associations, EC, Electrification, TEN
