The EC has a plan for high-speed rail. Expert: But it is not able to force investments from countries

The European Commission can only moderate the development of railways by offering additional money and creating legislation favoring competitiveness, but it is not able to force individual investments from EU countries, Dr. Michał Beim from the University of Life Sciences in Poznań told PAP.

European Commission adopted a plan which, by 2040, is intended to accelerate the construction of a high-speed rail network (HSR) within the EU. The presented concept takes into account both planned and already implemented infrastructure projects, e.g. the tunnel under the Baltic Strait of the Fehmarn Belt or the Polish “Y” line. According to the assumptions, the journey between Berlin and Copenhagen, for example, is to last four hours instead of seven, while the journey between Sofia and Athens is to be shortened from the current almost 14 hours to six hours.

– The position of the European Commission is welcome, but let us remember that the Commission can only moderate the development of railways by offering additional money and creating legislation favoring competition on tracks and opening the market. But the EC is not able to force countries to make individual investments, Dr. Michał Beim from the Spatial Management Laboratory of the University of Life Sciences in Poznań told PAP.

The EC's plans indicate that the travel time between Warsaw and Berlin is to be shortened by approximately 45 minutes by 2040, from the current five hours. This assumption may suggest that faster travel between the capitals will result from a shorter journey between Warsaw and Poznań on the planned HSR line called “Y”, and not due to the possible modernization of the current route or the creation of a new, fast cross-border line between Poznań and Berlin.

– While it is said that it would be good to have a high-speed railway between Poznań and Berlin, in reality there are no such plans. Modernizations of the line, both those currently being carried out by Germany and those previously carried out on the Polish side, did not even assume a significant increase in the maximum speed on the line for conventional railways, i.e. to 230 km/h – said Beim.

According to the scientist the specific reluctance to create fast international connections is a political problemwhich concerns or has concerned many European countries, including Germany. In his opinion, the latest position of the European Commission is a kind of extension of the program from two years ago regarding the EU's support for 10 pilot cross-border connections, including: connecting Zurich with Munich or the Stockholm-Copenhagen-Berlin night train.

The EC has no leverage

– The European Commission is not able to force the Polish or German governments to do anything specific on this topic. The Commission can only offer some money for this purpose. A good example is how the Baltic countries, i.e. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, used EU funds to build the Rail Baltica line. These countries know that the new, fast connection will provide them with more efficient exchange of goods, which is their main priority, but also better connections between individual countries and faster access to Poland, he noted.

He also assessed that the Polish side did not treat the section of the Rail Baltica line running through our country as a priority. – Hence, the speed of the route on the section to Białystok is 160 km/h, which may be increased to 200 km/h, but certainly not 250 km/h, which is the same as the speed on the route in the Baltic states – emphasized the expert.

As an example of a different attitude towards the development of high-speed rail, the scientist pointed to, among others: France, which is implementing the construction of a connection between Paris and the capital of Spain, and the planned creation of a high-speed route connecting Madrid with Portuguese Lisbon. Beim added that France also wants to create a high-speed connection from Lyon, through the Alps to Turin and Milan.

– Not only residents, but also politicians, realize that the high-speed trans-European railway makes great economic sense and ensures, to some extent, the implementation of climate protection goals. The topic of, for example, efficient transfer of troops is increasingly being discussed. These were known issues, but now the EC has moved something politically in this matter – said the expert.

As examples of improving cooperation in the field of cross-border rail transport, he pointed to the agreement between PKP Intercity and Deutsche Bahn on regular connections between Warsaw and Berlin every two hours. He also recalled the launch of direct Berlin-Paris connections and the tunnel connecting Germany with Denmark under construction under the Baltic Sea.

The EC's plan for the development of high speed railways also includes, among others: removing cross-border barriers and creating common investment schedules, but also simplifying regulations.

– Market deregulation is absolutely necessary. Countries that have decided to liberalize their market have relatively the best track record. One such example is Italy, where there is a strong, affordable private operator on high-speed railways. The European Commission is aware that deregulation provides an opportunity to increase the number of railway passengers, reduce prices and introduce innovative products – Beim pointed out. (PAP)

szk/aop/