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When it comes to environmentally-friendly travel, rail wins by far. Trains contribute to far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other forms of transportation. But the rail industry is still under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint further to meet governmental mobility climate change targets.
How are rail organisations working to be more sustainable and what projects and developments are in the spotlight helping the industry meet targets?
1 August 2012 | By Doris Bures, Federal Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology, Austria
As a starting point for the following considerations, I would like to choose two well-founded assumptions. Firstly, mobility is a basic prerequisite of our modern society and economy. Secondly, both passenger transport as well as cargo transport will see an increase in mobility in the years to come. The respective…
8 June 2012 | By Merja Kyllönen, Minister of Transport, Finland
2012 marks a special occasion in Finnish railway history: our railways celebrate their 150th anniversary. Scheduled train services began on 17 March 1862 between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, and ever since then, rail transport has had a huge influence on the development of our society and landscape. Over the years, a…
8 June 2012 | By Elisabeth Enger, Director General, Jernbaneverket
Since the beginning of 2012, three important reports on Norwegian railways have been issued in quick succession. First was the major high-speed study, followed by Jernbaneverket’s concept study for expansion of the InterCity network in eastern Norway. Subsequently, the central government agencies for sea, air, road and rail transport tabled…
8 June 2012 | By Vladimir Yakunin, President, Russian Railways
In February 2010, Russian Railways and the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee signed a partnership agreement, which gave Russian Railways official status as the general partner of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Organising such a major event necessitates a high level of arrangements, and transport accessibility plays one of the…
11 April 2012 | By Dr. Libor Lochman, Executive Director, CER
he Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) brings together more than 70 European railway undertakings, infrastructure companies and vehicle leasing companies, including long-established bodies, new entrants, and both private and public-sector organisations. In EU, EFTA and EU accession countries, CER members represent approximately 75% of the rail network…
11 April 2012 | By Süleyman Karaman, Director General and Chairman of the Board, Turkish State Railways (TCDD)
The history of railways in Turkey can be analysed in four periods. First was the Ottoman Period between 1856 and 1922 when foreigners were granted concessions and 4,136km of railway lines were constructed. Second was the Republic Period between 1923 and 1950 when developments were fast and bright and 3,764km…
15 February 2012 | By Mack Brooks
Russia is currently undergoing fundamental changes to its national railway network – the second most extensive in the world...
6 February 2012 | By Etienne Schouppe, State Secretary for Mobility, Belgium
“The railway will be the transport mode of the 21st century, if it survives the 20th.” I had to use this phrase on numerous occasions during my time as Chief Executive of the Belgian National Railway Company in the 1990s, in order to make my colleagues aware of the necessity,…
6 February 2012 | By Nedim Begovic, Railway Expert, SEETO
The European Commission’s proposal on new TEN-T guidelines adopted on 19 October 2011 was welcomed by the Regional Participants, since it includes important achievement of South East European regional cooperation. For the first time, the SEETO (South East Europe Transport Observatory) Comprehensive Network was included in the TEN-T Comprehensive Network…
6 December 2011 | By Nicolas Petrovic, CEO, Eurostar
Over the coming weeks and months, EU policy-makers will lock horns in earnest over new rules to ensure fair and open competition in the European rail market, both freight and passenger. On economic grounds alone it is critical that the right rules are in place but it is equally important…
6 December 2011 | By Shaun McCarthy. Chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012
In July 2005, London was confirmed as the host city for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The bid promised “the most sustainable Games ever”. Cynics may say that a global event such as the Olympics is an inherently unsustainable thing to do; others believe it is a unique opportunity…
6 December 2011 | By Pavel Habarta, Executive Director, Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration, SŽDC
The Railway Infrastructure Administration, state organisation (SŽDC) is the infrastructure manager in the Czech Republic and, in addition to other duties is responsible for the modernisation and development of the railway network. It launched its operations on 1 January 2003 as one of two successors of the former Czech Railways…
6 December 2011 | By Xavier Gruz, Project Director for the eastern branch of the Rhine- Rhône HSL, Réseau Ferré de France (RFF)
On 8 September 2011, Réseau Ferré de France (RFF) inaugurated the first part of the eastern branch of the Rhine-Rhône high-speed line. Included in the design and construction of this line, with its major socio-economic challenges, was a series of innovative environmental measures to ensure its long-term sustainability.
22 September 2011 | By Dirk Beckers, Executive Director, Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA)
The Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA) is an Executive Agency of the European Union which was created in 2006 by the European Commission to implement the TEN-T programme on its behalf and in particular to monitor the technical and financial implementation of all TEN-T projects. The Agency is…
22 September 2011 | By Mary Bonar, Recognised leading rail and project finance lawyer, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and Member of the Independent Transport Commission
The Rail Value for Money Study commissioned in 2010 by Britain’s then Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, and the Office of Rail Regulation, and continued by the Coalition government, Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, was published in its final form in May 2011. It is to be followed by a government White…
