Task 4.3 Stakeholder Workshop GOING HYPER-RAIL? Workshop conducted by MCRIT (Barcelona) and LVMT-LATTS (Paris)

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1 Living in a sustainable world focused on electrified rail Task 4.3 Stakeholder Workshop GOING HYPER-RAIL? Workshop conducted by MCRIT (Barcelona) and LVMT-LATTS (Paris) at MCRIT Headquarters, BARCELONA September 10 th 2013 Andreu Ulied and Oriol Biosca Latest update:

2 Rail Policy in Spain Rail investments have been large in Spain in the past 20 years. Rail investments went from representing around 0,5% of GDP in the 80s to 1,8% in the mid 2000s. This trend was also observed in other Western European countries, where rail investments became dominant after the second half of the 1990s (from around 25% of overall transport investment in the 1990s to beyond 50% during the decade of 2000s). Most funds in Spain have been spent in the High Speed Rail program for the longdistance transport, and in urban mobility projects, mostly metro extensions in Madrid and Barcelona, new metro networks in Valencia (1988), Bilbao (1995), and Palma (2004), and new tramways in Valencia (1994), Alicante (1999), Bilbao (2002), Barcelona (2004), Parla (2007), Madrid (2007), Málaga 1 (2006), Sevilla (2007), Tenerife (2007), Murcia (2007), Vitoria (2008), Zaragoza (2011). As a reference, 26 French cities today have tramway networks, 75% out of them having entered in service after In most cases, investments have been successful in increasing the rail modal share with respect to other modes. The Madrid-Barcelona high speed rail link has captured a 45% share from the plane; the Madrid-Málaga link a 75%; and the Madrid-Seville link a 90%. The tramway in XXX has. There have certainly been drawbacks as well, mostly due to insufficiently mature projects brought forward during the years of economic growth (e.g. Malaga tramway). Investments were allocated in rail projects according to infrastructure plans in force (2005 s PEIT in Spain, 2006 s PITC in Catalonia, several PDI in Barcelona since 2001). National and regional infrastructure plans in Spain were built in line with European policies, mostly influenced by the 2001 Transport White Paper and its goals of modal shift towards rail, and rail interoperability across Europe, but also by 1999 ESDP territorial strategy and its goals of polycentricity and territorial balance. Most rail projects in Spain were included in the TEN-T priority projects in 2003 (PP3, PP19) and/or received favourable dictate for EU funding via ERDF, CF or EIB loans. Rail projects for Spain in the TEN-T 1 Vélez-Malaga tramway ceased operating in 2012 due to funding shortage

3 Rail projects for Spain in the TEN-T The execution of projects in Spain followed a pattern of political and social feasibility gradient: projects where reaching agreements with local civil and politic stakeholders were promoted first, whereas more difficult projects, often in densely populated areas with well organised civil society pressure groups with typically more administrative bodies involved (regions, provinces, counties, municipalities) were delayed in time, as projects became substantially more complex. This happened at all scales (e.g. investments in central Spain vs. coastal periphery; in inner Catalonia vs. metropolitan Barcelona). The particular history of each project, and the evolution of the political negotiation behind it, is key to understand the deployment process of the rail programs in Spain, and the characteristics of many of the largest projects brought forward. In the meanwhile, the lack of investment in regional rail infrastructure and services has reduced competitiveness of the rail mode against others, in particular against private car and coach. In Catalonia for instance, rail services between major regional centres Vic, Manresa, Igualada and Barcelona struggle to compete with direct coach services that offer for the same fare shorter travel times and more frequencies better adapted to demand patterns (e.g. peak hour service increases). The constraints to upgrade the regional rail network are substantial, beginning by the relatively low demographic weight of regional centres that makes it difficult to justify the investments required to overcome existing bottlenecks. The large number of stops in the rail lines is also responsible for currently low commercial speeds of trains; significantly decreasing travel times, however, implies either closing a significant number of stations or reducing frequencies on them, with large social and political costs associated with this decision, or dedicating large investments to allow direct services, involving the duplication of rail tracks (from single to double, or four) in areas where physical space is a primary constraint. Going towards new hyper-rail age? Aiming at addressing the environmental impacts of fossil-driven mobility, and since the EU does not have relevant oil reserves, the electrification of transport has become a prime goal of the EU transport policy. Initiatives fostering the development rail have been many since the mid 90s, including a marked focus on rail of TEN schemes. However, problems persist in the rail mode

4 providing resistance for modal shares to increase steadily, mostly important investments required and lack of flexibility to fully adapt offer to existing demand (service frequencies, first/last miles, sparsely populated areas). New concepts are being explored to address this issues, yet preserving the essential values of rail. These new concepts seam to point towards an increasing merging of the concepts of road and rail. Electrified motorways. SIEMENS is testing the electrified motorways concept 2 where catenaries are installed in motorways to allow trucks running on electric power without the need of heavy batteries. Trucks are equipped with conventional engines as well that allow them to keep running when catenaries cease to be available. SCANIA 3 collaborates with SIEMENS in projects aiming at getting trucks ready for running on electrified motorways in Sweden. Electrified motorways in SIEMENS test track in Germany 2 In the present context of continuous increase of fossil fuel prices, manufacturers invest in hybrid electric cars, with increasingly efficient batteries. In the freight sector, due to much longer trips by trucks and more power required by engines, electric batteries do not perform as well. Aerial electrification of the motorway network could be a solution. lkw/brochure-ehighway-e.pdf 3 Several interesting projects relating to electrified roads are underway in Sweden. One example is Scania s cooperation with Siemens regarding electric truck operation on the road between Pajala and the iron mine at Svappavaara in far northern Sweden. Power supplied by overhead cables is probably the best solution for this service, since the road is built on bogs and moves up and down. But Scania is also examining solutions where vehicles obtain their power supply from the roadway through induction or some other technique. This would deliver a more flexible solution where all vehicles can use the system and thus share the large investment cost to rebuild the road network.

5 Guided Light Transit (GLT-TVR 4 ). A guided electric BRT running on dedicated lanes in Castelló de la Plana (Spain) 5 operates since 2008, in a hybrid bus/tramway solution. Other examples of GLT exist in Europe, notably in Rouen, Caen and Nancy. Rolling stock can be designed with tramway characteristics (vehicle dimensions, low floor, several access doors), but runs on asphalt without rails, using conventional road technologies and resulting in principle in much lower implementation costs 6. The system has a dedicated platform separated from all other traffics and uses the optical or mechanical (a single rail embedded in asphalt) guidance system throughout the busway section of the route, taking the steering of the bus away from the bus driver, and not just for docking at bus stops. The rolling stock combines electric alimentation with a diesel motor, guaranteeing a higher flexibility than a ordinary tramway, as it can move outside the electrified portions of the network. TVR concept developed by Bombardier and Siemens. Implementation in Castelló de la Plana VOLVO has been actively involved in the EU funded project SARTRE envisioning a future with intelligent transport networks traversed by so-called road trains : six to eight driverless cars guided along by a lead truck of some sort. Motorists could automatically become a part of such a train by driving to the right place and then letting go of the steering wheel; to leave the train, they would retake the wheel and resume conventional driving. Such assisted convoys would not only free motorists from the task of driving for parts of trips, but could improve highway safety and reduce fuel consumption. Translating that concept onto road trains could cut gas consumption by some 20 %, according to SARTRE. In 2012, several pilot tries of and 6 The GLT systems in place have experienced some mechanical problems, which though they have largely been resolved, have discouraged some other cities from adopting the technology (tendency to move erratically when running free, rutting of the roadway, problems with the guidewheel breaking). In Caen, the system will be abandoned in 2016 to move onto a conventional rail system. Still, the cost of TVR in Caen, including the cost of the embedded rail for guidence, was about 25% less than a tram to install, optical systems being even less costy.

6 SARTRE were successfully undertaken in European roads along with other vehicles, proving the technology to be feasible and safe. SARTRE pilot tests in European roads took place in Catalonia and Sweden during 2012 All in all, the electrification of road transport is perceived as positive because it has the potential to provide the environmental benefits of the rail mode but still preserve the large operational flexibility typical of the road mode. However, a full electrification of transport would require a wide range of electricity sources, including renewables 7 but probably also the nuclear in the short and mid term (with all the social issues that this power source brings together). The key of all these initiatives is the flexibility of operation. All of them aim at concentrating the best options of each mode in a single technological solution. The future seems more likely in these hybrid solutions, than on a rigid modal shift towards the rail mode, as we understand it today. Still, as long as these new solutions preserve essential elements archetypical of the rail mode (electrification, right of way, segregation from other traffics), it can be stated that altogether they contribute to the construction of a future hyper-rail age. 7 There have recently even been a number of transport projects implementing electricity generation to contribute to the overall sustainability of the transport sector. Infrabel has built a solar farm on the roof of a two mile stretch of tunnel over Belgium's high speed rail line to provide power for trains running between Antwerp and Paris. London's Blackfriars rail station will produce 50% of its power consumption from an on-site solar farm. Wind farm concepts are envisaged to power the High Speed Line between Leuven and Liege. The Brenner tunnel partially powers trains with electric power generated in hydroelectric facilities located in the mountain range above. Many shipping companies are experiencing with adding sails to ships: the MS Beluga is a 140 meter long cargo ship equipped with a 160 square meter sky-sail, and while it is not the main mode of propulsion, the kite is able to reduce fuel consumption by about 10% to 35% depending on wind conditions. (source: ORIGAMI FP7)

7 About the Livingrail LVMT-LATTS workshop LIVINGRAIL foresees a series of internal and external workshops aimed at strengthening the understanding of how the Vision 2050 should look like. The objectives are to identify and assess feasible options to boost rail and public transport market shares. LATTS (Laboratoire Techniques Territoriales et Sociales) and the École Doctorale Université Paris-Est (LVMT) organise a series of workshops and seminars to explore the potential of rail stations and rail policies to organise efficient spatial configurations in the territory, and the consequent social issues raised. The first area relates to the physical constitution of the stations, on their internal organization, their integration in the urban operation and functions stations (information, trade, etc..). The second area concerns the meaning and scope of the changes the station and mobility in the field of urban studies: the challenge is to perceive how developments affecting contemporary stations influence the way we produce and to think urban development, the design of public space, the emergence of a metropolitan society mobile and connected, and from a wide range of stakeholders (operators of the railway world, public authorities, developers and business developers). LVMT-LATTS and LIVINGRAIL have collaborated in this workshop organised at MCRIT Barcelona, in the context of the 2 days studies trip of LVMT-LATTS in Catalonia, to explore the impact of rail projects in Spain, in particular in Barcelona, and the perspectives of rail policy-making in Spain and the likely consequences of rail policies and rail master plans on the Spanish and Catalan territorial dimensions. LIVINGRAIL Workshop with LVMT-LATTS at MCRIT Barcelona, September 10 th 2013

8 th LIVINGRAIL Workshop with LVMT-LATTS at MCRIT Barcelona, September th LIVINGRAIL Workshop with LVMT-LATTS at MCRIT Barcelona, September

9 th LIVINGRAIL Workshop with LVMT-LATTS at MCRIT Barcelona, September th LIVINGRAIL Workshop with LVMT-LATTS at MCRIT Barcelona, September