MLSZKSZ:railway tracks must be improved 19/10/24
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MLSZKSZ: All over Europe, the condition of railway tracks must be improved and developments must be coordinated in order to promote environmentally friendly transport
Worse tracks will have to pay a higher fee from September: the state of the European railway track network and uncoordinated renovations and developments cause the biggest problem in environmentally friendly combined freight transport, the infrastructure is responsible for 75 percent of delays. In Hungary, the price for track use has also increased during the year, so you have to pay more for tracks in worse condition. The Association of Hungarian Logistics Service Centers draws attention to the fact that all this impairs the competitiveness of environmentally friendly combined transport compared to more polluting and accident-prone road transport. In the first three quarters of this year, the same amount of goods was delivered combined as a year earlier.
There is no cheaper, more efficient and faster greening in Europe than rail transport, therefore European decision-makers must take decisive steps to promote the rise of rail transport - emphasized Attila Zahalka, commercial director of METRANS Konténer Kft., at the 4th Eastern European Intermodal Conference organized by MLSZKSZ , in Budapest. The condition of the infrastructure, the chaos caused by unannounced and uncoordinated maintenance and development, and the aging workforce are a growing concern on the railways. In addition, in September, the track usage fee was raised by fourteen percent during the year in Hungary, which the carriers cannot manage, so they will pass it on to the customers, added Attila Zahalka. The transport industry trusts the statement of the Minister of Construction and Transport, János Lázár, that they will reduce the track usage fee for goods transport.
The European regulation on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), which entered into force at the end of June, helps to speed up rail transport within the European Union, which sets out mandatory tasks for all member states - emphasized Ákos Érsek, of the Association of European Combined Transport Companies (UIRR) at the conference. chief advisor. The decree stipulates, for example, that seventy-five percent of all international freight trains arrive at their destination on time, and that they only have to wait less than half an hour at EU internal borders. The new regulation also contains simplifications, for example, TEN-T resources can be used not only for railway tracks designed for a speed of 160 kilometers per hour, but also for speeds of 120 and 100 kilometers for freight trains.
Lóránd Bói, the deputy state secretary responsible for transport strategy, emphasized at the event that, contrary to the news published in the media, the government is developing not only public roads, but also railways. In addition to the domestic railway investments that have already started, according to the plans, the section between Debrecen-Nyíregyháza, Komárom-Almásfüzitő, Kiskunfélegyháza-Szeged and Veszprém-Boba will be renewed by 2029, the Gubacsi bridge, which plays a key role in freight traffic, will be modernized, and a delta railway will be built at Zalaszentiván to speed up traffic , as well as renovating the railway track in the Záhony area - he listed. For several investments, they plan to use the resources of the European Network Financing Facility (CEF), this EU resource is currently available without restrictions.
Intermodal transport infrastructure is being developed not only in Hungary. In line with the weak performance of the German economy, the volume of goods traffic fell by around ten percent in 2023, and intermodal traffic also decreased, but only to a lesser extent. The situation is not improving this year either, but expansion is expected again next year. The demand for intermodal traffic is strengthened by environmental protection regulations and sustainability-related (ESG) measures of companies. This trend is clearly demonstrated by the fact that three new intermodal terminals were handed over this year, and another three are currently under construction, said Steffen Nestler, managing director of Deutsche GVZ GmbH, which unites intermodal centers in Germany.
The capacity of rail freight transport in Serbia will increase eightfold in the next ten years. By 2025, seventy-five percent of the total amount of goods will be transported by train. One of the main routes runs from the Greek port of Piraeus through Belgrade to the Hungarian border. The rebuilt railway line between Belgárd and Kelebia will be handed over in November. If the development is completed on the Hungarian side as well, the Serbian railway network will be connected to the high-speed European TEN-T network - stressed Urbán Emese Lálity, the Serbian State Secretary for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure.
European intermodal traffic increased by four percent in the second quarter of this year, the first time after more than a year and a half of decline. In Hungary, however, there was a significant decline in the first quarter, but in the following two quarters, more goods were transported by combining rail and road, as well as shipping, so overall the turnover of the first three quarters was the same as the year before - Zoltán Fábián summarized the latest data, Managing director of MAHART Container Center Kft.
The majority of domestic intermodal traffic (fifty-five percent) is the transport of goods from seaports, the rest is traffic transported along the Silk Road and intra-European traffic. As maritime container carriers avoid the Suez Canal due to attacks by Houthi rebels, traffic from Adriatic ports decreased by nine percent between January and September, while traffic from Northern European ports increased by twenty-four percent.