From BR24, via European Perspective
https://www.rte.ie/news/ [Can somebody work out get a direct link, to save a lot of text]
Why disused railroad lines are rarely revivedIn recent decades, the German rail network has shrunk. In many places, rail traffic was discontinued for economic reasons and lines were closed. From today's perspective, a mistake, say experts. In order to achieve the climate protection targets in the transport sector, more passenger and freight traffic must be shifted to rail in the coming years. In addition to the rehabilitation and expansion of existing rail lines, many decommissioned lines are also to be put back into service. The government coalition has even written this into its coalition agreement.
Experts see great potentialFor the industry association "Allianz pro Schiene", there is great potential in this. According to the expert report, at least 1,300 kilometers of rail track could be reconnected to the rail network in this way, says Dirk Flege, managing director of the association. He estimates this figure to be even higher and speaks of 4,500 kilometers that could be reactivated.
Only eight kilometers of track put back into operationThe general conditions for bringing decommissioned lines back into service would be good. For example, the federal government funds such projects through the Municipal Transportation Financing Act at 90 percent of the cost. In the federal states, this has arrived. They know that reactivating old rail lines can connect millions of people to the rail network. "The number of commissioned feasibility studies is growing practically every day," informs Martin Henke of the Association of German Transport Companies. Positive results are available for just under 80 of around 100 routes investigated nationwide. So putting such a line back into service would be worthwhile.
Nevertheless, little happens in practice. Last year, only eight kilometers of railroad line were reactivated. "This year, it will also be in single digits," predicts Dirk Flege of the "Pro-Rail Alliance."
Who will cover the cost of running the train?The reason: although funding for the construction work is secured through the Municipal Transport Financing Act, it is often not clear who will bear the costs for train operations on the reactivated lines, says Dirk Flege. It calls on the federal and state governments to provide more funding for train operations. Flege: "What is needed here is a federal subsidy program" that provides the states with financial support for train operations on the reactivated lines. The federal and state governments will have to find a way "to create reliable financing conditions for ten or 15 years. Operators and passengers must be able to rely on the fact that train services on such routes are secured in the long term, says the head of the industry association.
Freight traffic should also benefitIn addition to passenger transport, there must also be a greater focus on freight transport. For this area, many lines could also be reconnected to the rail network. The need is likely to be great because, according to a forecast by the Federal Ministry of Transport, freight traffic will increase sharply in the coming years.
Restart can take up to ten yearsBut even if the federal and state governments pull the lever, put more money in their hands and quickly reactivate disused lines, it will probably be years before the lines can actually be used. In "simple cases," it is likely to be one to two years before a line is back in service. Where the rails have been removed and major construction is required, it may take five to ten years.
Particularly high hurdles in BavariaIn Bavaria, the Pro-Rail Alliance believes that the hurdles to reviving disused rail lines are particularly high. Only if at least 1,000 passengers per working day are to be expected, a reactivation is considered at all, reports association managing director Dirk Flege. Such a high demand limit does not exist in other states. Flege: "Bavaria is still stuck in the past. According to the motto, everything has to pay off."
In view of the climate crisis, people's changed mobility behavior and the challenge of how rural areas can be better connected to neighboring cities, the Bavarian approach is no longer up to date. The Ministry of Transport in Bavaria sees things differently and wants to stick to the current regulation. If demand is lower, he said, it would be more environmentally friendly to use a bus along the route. In addition, it is anyway only "one of several criteria to be able to initiate the process of a line reactivation in Bavaria," according to the ministry.
Pressure from the population and local politicsAlthough the call to bring old lines back into service is not new, experts are optimistic that this time the appeals from the industry will not go unheeded. The pressure from the population and from local politics is much greater than in the past, he said. "People want their rail back," says Dirk Flege.
