WHILE LONG HAUL AND TRANS-EUROPEAN CORRIDORS ARE GROWING AND BEING EXTENDED TO ACCOMMODATE GREATER TRANSPORT VOLUMES, MANY OF THE RAIL COMPANIES OPERATING REGIONAL NETWORKS AND LOCAL ROUTES (CALLED 'SHORT LINES’ IN THE PROJECT) ARE BEING SUBJECTED TO SCRUTINY. A RESTRUCTURING OF THE RAIL FREIGHT SERVICES, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, AIMS TO ESTABLISH AN EFFECTIVE AND LASTING, AS WELL AS ECONOMICALLY STABLE, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT ‘PLAN FRET’ OF THE FRENCH NATIONAL RAILWAY SNCF AND THE OPENING OF THE RAILWAY LINES TO EUROPEAN COMPETITION, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE REGIONAL RAILWAY NETWORKS TO COMMERCIAL FREIGHT HAS BEEN RAISED AND IS BEING ANALYZED FROM MERCANTILE, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND OPERATIONAL POINTS OF VIEW. IT IS ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED AS TO HOW THE ECONOMICALLY STABLE STRUCTURES OF THESE SHORT LINES HAVE DEVELOPED IN OTHER COUNTRIES (SUCH AS THE USA AND GERMANY).
IN GERMANY, THE NON-FEDERAL (PRIVATE) RAILWAYS ALREADY BUILT IN THE PREVIOUS CENTURY CARRY A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE TRANSPORT IN SUCH REGIONAL NETWORKS. THE DEREGULATION OF THE GERMAN RAIL SECTOR LED TO A SHARP INCREASE IN THE TRAFFIC VOLUME CARRIED BY THE NON-FEDERAL RAILWAY COMPANIES.
THE DLR INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORT RESEARCH IS TASKED WITH PORTRAYING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GERMAN SHORT LINES AND EVALUATING THESE WITH RESPECT TO GERMAN COMPETITION IN THE RAIL SECTOR.
PROJECT PARTNERS
CLIENT
ADEME - L'AGENCE DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT ET DE LA MAÎTRISE DE L'ENERGIE, ANGERS/ PARIS/ VALBONNE (AGENCY FOR ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT)
PROJECT DURATION
10.2005 - 09.2007