TEN-T Regulations |
|
THE European Commission (EC) has proposed amending
its December 2021 proposal on the revision of the Trans-European Transport
Network (TEN-T) Regulation in light of the Ukraine conflict. To help agricultural and other goods to reach the European Union (EU) and world markets, the new proposal extends four TEN-T corridors to Ukraine and Moldova. The ground for this extension was prepared when the EC adopted revised maps for the TEN-T network in Ukraine earlier this month. In view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the position adopted by Belarus, the EC says cooperation with these two countries is no longer considered appropriate, nor to be in the interest of the EU. The proposal therefore removes Russia and Belarus from the TEN-T network. The EC is also proposing to downgrade the last miles of all cross-border connections between the EU and Russia/Belarus from the status of “core network” to “comprehensive network” – implying a later target date for completion of 2050 instead of 2030. The EC proposal includes measures to convert 1520mm-gauge lines to 1435mm-gauge when this is economically justified. This also applies to non-standard track gauges within the EU itself, as the difficulties at the Ukraine border have highlighted how this lack of interoperability could increase the vulnerability of the railway network inside EU territory. The EC says Russia’s war against Ukraine has redefined the geopolitical landscape, highlighting the EU’s vulnerability to unforeseen events beyond its borders. It adds that the major impact on global markets, and on global food security, have underlined that the EU’s internal market and transport network cannot be looked at in isolation when it comes to setting out policy. Better connections with the EU’s neighbouring partner countries are now needed more than ever, the EC says. ”By extending four European transport corridors to the territory of Ukraine and Moldova - including the ports of Mariupol and Odessa - today’s proposal will help improve the transport connectivity of these two countries to the EU, facilitating economic exchange and better connections for people and business alike,” says European commissioner for transport, Ms Adina Vălean. “These corridors will also be a key priority in rebuilding the transport infrastructure of Ukraine once the war ends. Our efforts to facilitate the export of grain from Ukraine via the Solidarity Lanes have also demonstrated the importance of interoperability in the transport system, reinforcing the need to increase convergence within the EU network, making it more resilient and strengthening the internal market.” The proposal adopted by the EC will now be part of the ongoing negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council on the TEN-T revision, which started early this year. |
|
world's largest hydrogen-powered fleet
THE first train of what will soon become the world's largest hydrogen-powered
fleet has arrived in Germany’s Rhine-Main area for tests.Alstom will carry out route and refuelling process familiarisation tests with the Coradia iLint 54 multiple-unit, with 27 such hydrogen trains due to run on the Taunus network operated for Rhine-Main Transport Authority (RMV). In late summer, the first new vehicles will be handed over to RMV and more than half of the trains are expected to be in service for the start of passenger operation in December. The Taunus network comprises four routes: RB11 Frankfurt-Höchst - Bad Soden; RB12 Frankfurt - Koenigstein; RB15 Frankfurt - Brandoberndorf; and BR16 Bad Homburg/Friedrichsdorf - Friedberg. The lines are operated by the DB subsidiary Start Germany, which replaced previous operator Hessische Landesbahn in December 2021. To bridge the gap between the introduction of the first hydrogen trains in December and the completion of deliveries, Alstom will be organising replacement vehicles and interim forms of operation according to contractual arrangements drawn up with RMV. “The 27 hydrogen trains make the Taunus a pioneering region in Germany and beyond," says Mr Ulrich Krebs, deputy chairman of the RMV supervisory board and district administrator of the Hochtaunuskreis district. “For passengers, this means more seats and free Wi-Fi,” says RMV managing director, Professor Knut Ringat. “In addition, the hydrogen trains are locally emission-free. With hydrogen as a low-emission technology, we are investing in the future with climate-neutral public transport. Our ambitious goal is to do without diesel vehicles from 2030, with the right financing framework and availability." “The combination of the war in Ukraine affecting the supply of vehicle parts and the still tense Covid-19 situation pose an unprecedented challenge for the entire railway industry,” says Mr Müslüm Yakisan, president of Alstom in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “This delayed the delivery of the trains by a few weeks. Nevertheless, we are very pleased that the first vehicles for the RMV are now starting test operations on the future operational routes in the Rhine-Main area. “Our goal is for all 27 vehicles to be delivered by the end of March 2023,” Yakisan says. Elsewhere in Lower Saxony, operation with hydrogen trains commenced on the regional line from Cuxhaven to Buxtehude via Bremervörde, west of Hamburg, on July 25. |
|
Back to Index Pictures Here |
July 2004 Returns on Investment for Locomotives In Russian Back Home Here |
LNG Locomotives | LNG locomotives VS Diesel |
|
|
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Capsule Summary Interstate Clean Transportation Corridor |
|
|
|||||||||||
American LNG Switcher Picture Here American LNG Road Locomotive Here Russian CNG Switcher Picture Here |
|||||||||||
LNG refueling from CH-IV and
http://www.ch-iv.c J.B.Kelley Inc. http://www.altlngusa.com |
|||||||||||
Alternative Fuels Data Center |
Locomotive Refueling with LNG
|
LNG Locomotive pulline 10,000 mt coal BN 7149, 1 of 2 gas locomotives developed for BN by E C Inc. The successful demonstration locomotives operated a commercial coal haul between Wyoming and Wisconsin from 1991-1996. The engines took natural gas rail out of concept, into reality, proving reliability, safety, and full-power of the ECI system. LNG Alternate Fuel |
|
Back to Index
2006