The three core demands of the rail associations in election year 2021: Expanding infrastructure, consistently digitalising rail systems, advancing the transportation revolution

The eight rail associations presented their three most important demands on policymakers at the start of the 2021 election year. The next federal government must expand the infrastructure for a synchronised German timetable, promote the digitalisation of rail systems and advance the transportation revolution, according to a joint paper of the associations in the leadup to the Bundestag election. In this paper, the rail industry recognises that the current black-red coalition has expanded the financial resources dedicated to the railway sector. Nevertheless, the future federal government must accelerate the pace and make rail transport a priority.

Much has happened in the past four years, as stressed by Allianz pro Schiene, BAG SPNV, Mofair, NEE, VCD, Verband der Bahnindustrie, VDV and VPI in their paper. In the meantime, there is now a “Rail Freight Master Plan”, a “Rail Master Plan” and a “Synchronised German Timetable 2030 Roadmap”. The 2030 climate protection programme is of paramount importance and can only succeed with more railway traffic. The eight rail associations now insist on implementation of the promises. The federal government and the Bundestag have already formulated the goals during this legislature of doubling the number of passengers on local and long-distance rail transportation and increasing the market share of railway freight traffic to at least 25 percent. To achieve this, the next federal government must focus on three points.

1) Expanding infrastructure

The key to a successful rail policy lies in an expansion of rail infrastructure. Four things are important for a synchronised German timetable and a more capable rail infrastructure.

- The government must increase the funds for construction and expansion of the rail network up to at least three billion euros annually by no later than the middle of the legislative period.

- The expansion and modernisation of rail infrastructure must be financially secured over the long-term just as is currently the case for maintenance of the network. A state rail infrastructure fund similar to the one in Switzerland would be a suitable measure here.

- The federal government and the industry must define intermediate steps on the way to a synchronised German timetable with specific service improvements. For each individual stage, the government must establish a secure financial basis for the necessary infrastructure expansion.

- The railway infrastructure that is not under federal ownership also needs stronger support. Only this way will it be possible to frame an attractive proposition for customers over the last mile.

2) Digitalisation of the rail system

Digitalisation will improve the capability and reliability of both railway operations and the infrastructure itself. Four shifts are required here, in particular.

- Germany must demonstrate financial and organisational ingenuity in digitalising the entire federal rail network by 2035.

- The key technology for greater efficiency in railway traffic is called digital automatic coupling (DAC). The upgrading of 450,000 wagons across Europe during this decade will cost more than eight billion euros. The companies in the industry need the financial support of the federal government and the EU to accomplish this Herculean feat.

- For consumer-friendly public transportation, direct tickets from door to door must be the rule. This includes industry-wide information about the schedules of all providers in real-time and about modern features, such as capacity utilisation data.

- The federal government must provide more incentives for innovation, such as by expanding the “Federal Programme for the Future of Railway Traffic” and an innovation bonus for investments in digital, emission-free technologies. 

3) Advancing the transportation revolution

A substantial increase in the market share of rail traffic would bring Germany closer to its climate protection goals. More traffic on the rails means a higher quality of life for everyone: fewer traffic jams, less vehicle exhaust, use of less area for transportation and fewer victims of traffic accidents. Three things are urgently necessary for a transportation revolution.

- The federal government must improve its freedom of choice in the use of truck toll revenues. In other words, moving away from the principle of “road finances only road” to the principle of “transportation finances transportation”. An accelerated transportation revolution can be financed with the income from the truck toll, the elimination of environmentally harmful subsidies and the introduction of carbon taxes.

- The rail network must be given priority in the federal budget with regard to the construction and expansion of transportation infrastructure and must receive at least two thirds of the respective budget funds.

- A great many individual measures are also necessary to bring about a transportation revolution. It is therefore necessary to exempt the railways from the electricity tax, lower the Renewable Energies Act levy for electric trains, establish a framework for future-ready single wagon traffic and provide for a long-term reduction of the fees for infrastructure use in passenger and freight traffic. Fees that represent a unique burden on only the railway sector must be eliminated.

 

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