Lecture 3 - Challenges and Solution Approaches

Question 1

Technical Challenges

Answer 1

Improved energy efficiency, noise reduction, pollutant reduction, more (freight) transport on rails, driverless driving

Question 2

Share of rail passenger transport in the world

Answer 2

China: 35 %
Japan: 30 %
Switzerland: 25 %
Europe: 6-12 % (Germany 9.6 %)
USA: 1 %

Question 3

Freight transport types

Answer 3

Combined transport carrying entire lorries, combined transport with containers, trainload transport, wagonload transport

Question 4

Long Transport Times between Road and Rail freight transport

Answer 4

Reason 1: Train journeys must be registered some days prior to departure in order to integrate them in schedule
Reason 2: Since passenger and freight transport share many sections of the line, the freight train often has to wait at passing sidings (for the passenger train to pass it)
Reason 3: Laborious train formation
Reason 4: It’s cheap to use lorries

Question 5

Name some technical problems that hinder interoperability of railways in Europe.

Answer 5

The European countries have different track gauges, different electric power systems and different train protection systems

Question 6

Solution Concepts for the Railway

Answer 6

• Automated shunting (including automatic coupling, brake test)
• Automated loading technologies
• Standardized train control and train protection technology in Europe
• Europe-wide certification (as for lorries)
• Separate passenger and freight transport, dissolve bottlenecks (Build more tracks for the freight transport)

Question 7

Main problem freight transport

Answer 7

Traffic increases constantly reaching the technical limitations, congested roads, saturated railways

Question 8

Aims of the coalition agreement of the Federal Government of March 2018

Answer 8

Overriding aim: Comply with the Paris climate protection targets for 2050
Aims: Transfer of commuted traffic from road to rail, double the number of passengers by 2030, more freight transport by rail by 2030
Measures: Expansion of the freight rail network for train lengths up to 740m by 2020, increase in the share of electrified lines from 60% to 70% by 2025, promotion of automation of freight transport and autonomous driving
Expectation: improved service and reliability, more innovations

Question 9

Track Gauges in Europe

Answer 9

Russian Gauge: 1524 mm
Irish: 1600 mm
Iberian: 1668 mm
Standard: 1435 mm

Question 10

Political Aspects - Costs

Answer 10

Corporate-economic aspects which affects customers are predominant
National economic considerations
Unfair competition caused by different consideration of transport charges