Railway infrastructure, transport and safety (2. strana)

7 rail transport l interview l Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic p There are efforts to move part of passenger and freight transport to rail, is the railway infrastructure ready for this today? In some respects yes, but for the most part not yet. We therefore expect the implementation of a number of projects that aim to either reduce travel time or increase capacity. However, shifting the load is not only a question of the existing adequate infrastructure, but also a combination of price, comfort, and market demand for the change by the transport and commodity segments. p According to my information, the schedule of passenger and freight rail transport is relatively full and passenger transport prevails over freight. Who actually has the sharper elbows and why? The rules for schedule preparation and traffic control are given by EU regulations, the Railways Act, and the implementation decree (Rail Traffic Regulations), as well as the operational regulations of Správa železnic (Railway Administration). Yes, infrastructure capacity in the main corridors is a problem that is being addressed not only in the Czech Republic. The basic reason is the different requirements for the operation of passenger and freight trains. While passenger transport usually requires the highest possible frequency of trains and the use of maximum speed, freight transport needs to run smoothly using heavier and longer trains, if possible throughout the day. For example, a basic problem arises when creating timetables, because while the times of passenger trains can be accurately predicted, for example, a year in advance, freight trains operate on a different principle and their timetable is based on customer demand. In many cases, it is quite common that a freight train needs to be planned less than a day in advance. Such ad-hoc trains then obviously have the lowest priority when creating the timetable, which can be seen in particular in cases of reduced track capacity during diversions. However, the solution cannot be a strict requirement for a regular schedule of freight trains throughout the year. This could lead to a shift of transport to the roads, which can flexibly respond to customer demand. It is therefore necessary to focus investment programmes on infrastructure capacity increase on the main lines. From an operational point of view, a new capacity allocation system is being prepared at the European level, i.e. a system that should better respond to the requirements of freight transport, among other things. p Private carriers also have a problem with prioritisation, is it harder for them compared to state carriers? It is out of the question to talk about prioritising someone now that we have full separation of fixed infrastructure and train operation in the Czech Republic. The allocation of capacity and traffic management is therefore completely independent of the operation of rail transport. On the European scale, the Czech Republic was one of the first countries in which legislation has allowed non-state carriers onto stateowned railway infrastructure by the Railways Act 1995. At present, more than 100 carriers operate on Czech tracks, many of which are from abroad. p What is the situation of current investments into rail infrastructure? Can a more substantial change in investment be expected during the COVID pandemic? We will do everything to ensure that the COVID outbreak has minimal consequences for our investment policy. We are currently starting to create a draft SFDI (the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure) budget for 2021. Správa železnic (Railway Administration) is well prepared for this year in terms of readiness of its projects; now, the debate with the Ministry of Finance will be important for us. p What strategy does the Ministry of Transport have to support manufacturing companies in the railway industry sector in the new crisis situation? Support for manufacturing companies actually comes under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, or the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Therefore, we have an ambition to respond to demand for the implementation of railway transport construction projects by maintaining a pro-investment policy, thus stimulating construction companies. I think the increased SFDI budget of more than 114 billion for this year is a clear signal. p A state subsidy for bank engines to relieve the railway corridor is being considered. How is this question currently being addressed? Yes. This is a requirement by freight carriers and its practical implementation is entrusted to Správa železnic (Railway Administration). The aim is to make the parallel continued a www.technikaatrh.cz