The desire to shift from road to rail

The railways in Europe continue to face disadvantages in competition with roads. The only way to achieve fair competition in the transport sector is to reflect the true costs of each mode of transport, including factors such as climate protection, social issues, health aspects and safety. Unfortunately, some approaches at the EU level do not follow this line of thought.

For example, rail is clearly the safest, most environmentally friendly mode of transport available. This is true not only in Austria but in Europe as a whole. For this reason, my policy focuses on shifting passenger and cargo transport from roads to rails. The main ways to achieve this are to follow two paths of action: firstly, to offer incentives for people to switch to rail, in other words, affordable tickets, efficient connections, attractive railway stations and trains and shorter travel times. Secondly, to create a fair framework in which railways and roads can compete. This applies to both passenger and cargo transport, and it is where the principle of reflecting true costs must be put into effect. According to the European Commission, road traffic is responsible for 75% of harmful nitrogen oxides. Added to this are carbon dioxide emissions, noise pollution and the costs of traffic jams and infrastructure damages. The only way to achieve truly fair competition between roads and rails is to take these factors into account.

Large sums are currently being invested in the expansion of railways in Austria. New railway stations, four-track lines, shorter travel times and new high-quality trains for passengers will make Austria’s railway system a model of excellence in Europe. Construction sites have popped up around the country and are helping to ensure that Austria’s unemployment rate remains one of the lowest in the world – despite the international economic crisis.

Over €2 billion are invested in railway infrastructure each year, and Austria has already achieved a number of great successes. The modal split, in other words, the distribution of cargo transport among the various modes of transport, has had very positive effects for railways here. Over 30% of cargo is transported by rail in Austria, while the EU average is just 15%, so less than half. For us, the strong positioning of railways in cargo transport shows that shifting transport from road to rail is the right approach, which we will continue to pursue consistently in the future.

Unfortunately, however, many efforts in Europe continue to be completely off track. ‘Gigaliners’, for instance, show very clearly that at the European level, the focus is not always on reflecting true costs and on climate protection. These Gigaliners, which weigh up to 60 metric tonnes and measure over 25 metres in length, are already operating in some parts of Europe. I have commissioned several studies on this topic and the results are clear: Gigaliners are a hazard to road traffic safety. In addition, Gigaliners entail high infrastructure costs. Ultimately, however, Gigaliners are hurting railways. This could result in as much as a 40% decline in the volume of orders for railways.

For this reason, the vast majority of the Austrian Parliament is against Gigaliners. At the EU Council of Transport Ministers, I personally have always argued against introducing Gigaliners, and I will remain a vehement opponent of them.

But Gigaliners are not the only field of EU traffic policy in which there is a great deal of opposition to fair competition. In a number of relevant traffic documents, doubts have once again been expressed regarding the reflection of the true costs of lorry transport, which has resulted in indefinite delays. Opposition is also apparent in negotiations about the ‘Eurovignette’ Directive, where a struggle is under way between a backwardminded and a forward-looking traffic policy. My aim is to achieve a cargo transport market that incorporates the criteria of health, climate protection, safety and social justice. Ultimately, what we also want to avoid is an excessive burden being placed on locomotive and lorry drivers as a result of longer travel times.

I am looking for allies in this cause at the European level. On one hand, these are people who do not want to be affected by noise pollution, health hazards and climate change. On the other, they are political representatives from all of the EU member states. I am convinced that in the end the majority will agree that the future of European transport lies in fair cooperation between various modes of transport.