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TRANSPORT NEWS IN UK & EUROPE
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European News
- Opening up domestic rail markets in Europe would help_to_improve_passenger_services
- First_Fishing_Trawler_Sets_Sail_Once_More
- Russian_Railways,_Alstom_and_Transmashholding_sign_cooperation_protocol
British News
Opening national rail markets will help to improve passenger services
Monday, 15 March 2010
Developments seen over the last few years in the rail freight market – fully liberalised since 2007 - show that market opening alone has often failed to encourage competition and growth. The analysis of European Commission data, carried out by CER in February 2010, reveals that other conditions play an important complementary role. These conditions include mainly the financing of infrastructure, fair competition between modes, the eradication of historic debt, and compensation for public service obligations (PSOs).
“Liberalisation is highly likely to bring about positive effects for rail transport in those EU member states where all conditions are met,“ Johannes Ludewig explains. “While the results of the analysis do not suggest that there are any preconditions to liberalisation, it clearly shows that all conditions should ideally be met at the same time to increase the market share of rail transport.“
Sweden is, in that respect, a perfect example of good implementation of the principles set out in the 2001 Transport White Paper. Between 2002 and 2007, Sweden increased its rail freight modal share from 34% to 36%. In 2007, 33% of rail freight was in the hands of new entrants. The overall level of public financing to rail was EUR 85,000 per track-km per year and Sweden also boast one of the lowest levels of track access charging in Europe (EUR 0.48 per train-km).
Conversely, in Romania, with a comparable level of freight business in the hands of new entrants (34% in 2007), market opening accelerated decline. Block train prices went down, undermining the already limited ability of the rail system to self-finance itself in a context of otherwise very poor public rail financing. Only EUR 30 were spent per track-km per year since 2002 and very high track access charging applied (EUR 3.87 per train-km). As a result, the overall modal share of rail freight in Romania fell almost by half, from 34% in 2002 to 19% in 2007.
The CER position paper ”Market opening of domestic passenger traffic and further European integration of railway markets” will be available for download on www.cer.be in the section “Latest Publications” as of 16 March.
HIGH SPEEED RAIL FOR THE NORTH
Warmly welcoming Lord Adonis’s Command Paper on High Speed Rail, David Begg, Chairman of the Northern Way Transport Group said:
“High Speed Rail is not just a transport issue it is a must do for the North’s future economic growth and for the country as a whole. It is also fundamental in moving to a low carbon economy.”
“The Northern Way has provided clear evidence that there needs to be a high speed network that serves our great northern cities on both sides of the Pennines. We are pleased that the Government has clearly listened to us on this point and welcome the commitment that a next phase of route planning extending new lines further north to both Manchester and Leeds will now begin in earnest.”
“The leadership that Lord Adonis has provided has been important in putting high speed rail centre stage. This commitment will need to continue over successive governments.”
Chairman of the Northern Way Hugh Morgan Williams said:
“Experience across the world highlights the importance of high speed rail to a vibrant modern economy. We applaud this commitment from the Government, and from all the main parties, that we need now to make strides in catching up with France, Spain, Japan, China, the USA and other countries across the world.”
“The links between the North’s city regions and with London, Heathrow and the Channel Tunnel are fundamental to the North’s economic future and what we have today is a very welcome start on long term plans that will revolutionise travel and help rebalance the UK’s economy between north and south.”
High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd
11 March 2010 14:10
The Government today published its Command Paper response to the HS2 report, and in so doing set out the next stages of work for HS2 Ltd.
As part of that next stage, Government has asked that the company now take forward further development of its recommendations for High Speed Two – a new line between London and the West Midlands – so that a full public consultation can be held in the autumn.
Welcoming the publication of the Command Paper, the company’s Chairman Sir Brian
Briscoe said:
High speed rail has enormous potential to benefit the UK, but the project will never get going without public support – which is why it is so important that we now prepare thoroughly for a full public consultation that gives everybody the chance to state their views and make their voice heard, particularly those who may be directly affected by the line. That process of open engagement and dialogue will ultimately be as crucial to the success of High Speed Two as world-class engineering and construction.
HS2 Ltd has also been asked to begin detailed work on options for equivalent lines from the West Midlands to Manchester, and to Leeds via the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. This work – on a similar basis to that just completed for London-West Midlands – will develop specific route options as well as identifying full costs and benefits.
Commenting on this extension of HS2 Ltd’s remit, the company’s Chief Executive Alison Munro said:
The work we have presented on the high speed line between London and Birmingham is the most comprehensive to date in the UK. We now look forward to developing detailed proposals for extensions to Manchester and Leeds. Though it will be a demanding task, our work during 2009 means we are in a good position to make progress quickly.
Our work on London-Birmingham was only possible with the help of our delivery partners and many others, and the further development of relationships with such partners in the North West, Yorkshire and the East Midlands will be a key early priority.
Department for Transport (DfT) UK For map of preferred HS2 route http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/lontobhm/pdf/leaflet.pdf
Passengers on high speed rail plans
11.03.2010
Passenger Focus has responded to the Government’s policy on high speed rail:
Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said: “Passengers will welcome this bold plan. In the long term more and more people are going to want to use the railway. So, a step change in the ability of the network to handle more trains, longer trains and more reliable trains, all key passenger priorities for improvement, is needed now. This plan represents an important first step in unlocking this potential, that should also free up more space on the rest of network to handle more regional and local trains. More trains arriving on time are now helping to attract more passengers. Add higher speeds to that and a whole new group of passengers could be tempted to use rail.
“Passenger Focus welcomes the commitment that the new line will be an addition to the current network – not a bolt on, rich man’s railway. The ability to turn up and travel remains a key attraction of Britain’s railway – this new line, with fast frequent services could, with attractive fares, start to revolutionise intercity rail travel. The other commitment, that funding will not be diverted from the existing network, is also welcome.”
Passenger Focus - Putting Passengers First
Train Companies Respond to the Government's High Speed Rail Announcement
11/03/2010
Responding to the Government’s announcement on high speed rail, Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), said:
“The Government’s announcement confirms rail as integral to the future success of the British economy, linking the nation’s major cities in a way which will transform how people get around the country.
“But this is just the start. Now the hard work must begin. We need to look through the detail of the plans and work out the best possible deal for passengers and taxpayers.
“At a time of constrained public finances and when investment in the existing network must continue, high speed rail must be affordable.
“Making the most of the role of the private sector will keep costs down for the taxpayer and draw on the considerable knowledge and experience of train companies in making sure high speed rail meets the needs of passengers and businesses.”
08 March 2010,
First Fishing Trawler Sets Sail Once More
Parlevliet & Van der Plas B.V. and SkySails begin practical tests of SkySails towing-kite propulsion for fishing trawlers
Hamburg / Wismar / Sassnitz, Germany / Katwijk, Netherlands, 08 March 2010.
The SkySails-System was successfully placed into operation aboard Germany’s largest fishing vessel – the ROS-171 “Maartje Theadora” – on the North Sea near Ijmuiden, Netherlands on March 8th, 2010. This innovative wind-propulsion system from the Hamburg-based manufacturer SkySails will henceforth help save large amounts of fuel and emissions. The maiden voyage of the ROS-171 “Maartje Theadora” with SkySails propulsion, which will take the ship across the Atlantic to South America and then into the South Pacific, heralds the use of regenerative energy sources in deep-sea fishing.
“As one of Europe’s biggest fishing companies, we consider it an important duty to not only promote sustainable fishing, but to take a leading role in making it a reality. For us, sustainable in this context means acting in a manner that makes both good economic and ecological sense. And so, by combining our MSC-certified pelagic shoal fishery with the innovative SkySails propulsion system, we intend to realize major savings in fuel and costs, while at the same time significantly reducing the adverse effects on the environment caused by harmful emissions – first by employing the system during those long transfer runs and then, looking to the future, during direct fishing operations,” says Dr. Uwe Richter, the Managing Director of Westbank Hochseefischerei GmbH, which belongs to the Parlevliet & Van der Plas B.V. Group, has its headquarters in Sassnitz, Germany and is responsible for the technical and commercial operation of the ROS-171 “Maartje Theadora.”
“Because operating conditions on a fishing vessel differ greatly from those of a commercial cargo ship, especially during trawling operations, our key focus during this phase of trials will be on technically adapting the system to the circumstances specific to fishing operations,” explains Stephan Brabeck, the Technical Managing Director of SkySails. “Working hand in hand with our customer Parlevliet & Van der Plas, we will be further enhancing and developing the technology in practice, and in turn devising a wind propulsion system that is optimized for use on fishing vessels.”
The practical testing of the SkySails-System on the ROS-171 “Maartje Theadora” is being funded as part of a pilot project by the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the European Union (with resources from the European Fisheries Fund). The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is supporting this pilot project as an investment in the future, now that it has assumed the challenge and responsibility of developing and fostering visionary technologies in the fishery and aquaculture sector.
“I am very proud and pleased that my state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is supporting and accompanying this pioneering effort. The implementation of this project was made possible by an exceptionally generous grant as part of the 2007-2013 European Fisheries Fund. The €583,000 in funding from the EU and €194,000 from the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have been approved and will be used for this project. I firmly believe that this is money well spent, and an important investment in the future. The European Union and the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania view this project as a catalyst with a tremendous potential as a multiplier for improving resource efficiency over the long term and for abating the fishing industry’s adverse effects on the environment,” emphasizes Dr. Till Backhaus, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Consumer Protection.
Sailing under the flag of Germany, the ROS-171 “Maartje Theadora” is 141 meters long and its main propulsion consists of two MaK engines that produce a total of 8,640 kW of power. The crew comprises over 40 members during fishing trips. A 160m² SkySails towing-kite propulsion system works to relieve the ship’s main engine.
SkySails propulsion is already in use aboard the cargo ships “Beluga SkySails” owned by Beluga Shipping, as well as on the “Michael A.” and “Theseus” of the Wessels Shipping Company. The system is currently being installed on two other cargo new builds, and the Hamburg-based manufacturer SkySails has a number of additional orders on its books. The concept of towing-kite wind propulsion has proven itself fully capable on board ship, and the tractive forces that were measured make the SkySails-System the most powerful and effective wind-propulsion system in the world. Thanks to its unique physical properties, the system produces between 5 and 25 times more power per square meter than conventional sail propulsion. A 160m2 SkySails generates a tractive force of 8 metric tons, which is comparable to the thrust of an Airbus A318 engine.
About Parlevliet & Van der Plas B.V.
Parlevliet & Van der Plas B.V. was originally established as a trading company in Katwijk/Netherlands in 1949 by Dirk Parlevliet and the brothers Dirk and Jan van der Plas. Today, 60 years after its founding, Parlevliet & Van der Plas has expanded to become one of Europe’s largest companies in the international commercial fishing and processing industry. In addition to its Dutch offices and facilities in Valkenburg, Ijmuiden and Katwijk, the group also operates subsidiaries in Germany, Lithuania and the United Kingdom.
The establishment in 1986 of the wholly owned subsidiary Doggerbank Seefischerei GmbH in Bremerhaven marked the launch of the Dutch group’s unprecedented business growth and involvement in the fishing industry in Germany. Today the cities of Bremerhaven and Sassnitz are the headquarters of 12 subsidiaries that include a fleet of 6 deep-sea trawlers, Europe’s most modern fish processing center, the company Euro Baltic Fischverarbeitungs GmbH that processes an annual volume of 50,000 tons of herring, a trading company to handle the global marketing of products from the processing center and the group’s own catches, two cold storage facilities and a brokerage office.
Parlevliet & Van der Plas covers the entire range of commercial fishing products and services – from catch to delivery.
One of its major corporate strategy objectives is the development and imple-mentation of measures to ensure a set of sustainable fishing policies in Europe and, for several years already, in the Pacific region. It was with this in mind that Parlevliet & Van der Plas joined with other European fishing companies to establish the Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association. The association has published a policy paper that addresses such key issues as overfishing, discards, the environment, fishing laws and rights, product quality and employment policies.
About SkySails GmbH & Co. KG
SkySails develops, manufactures and markets an internationally patented wind propulsion system for ships based on large towing kites. Depending on wind conditions, a ship’s annual average fuel costs can be reduced by 10% to 35% using the SkySails-System. Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can be reduced at times by up to 50%. The SkySails-System can be installed as an auxiliary wind propulsion system on virtually all existing ships and new builds. Even fishing trawlers and superyachts of over 30 meters in length can be fitted with SkySails propulsion.
SkySails was founded in 2001 and currently has about 80 employees. Lead investors are the renowned ship financing company Jan Luiken Oltmann Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG based in Leer and the highly respected marine engine supplier Zeppelin Power Systems GmbH & Co. KG. Furthermore and besides private investors, the group of SkySails investors also includes numerous notable shipping companies such as Triton Seatrade, Reederei Wessels, Reederei Jüngerhans, Briese Schiffahrt, and Reederei Opielok.
SkySails and the venerable Zeppelin Group established a joint venture called “Zeppelin SkySails Sales & Service” at the beginning of 2009, which began operations in March and handles the worldwide sales and service of SkySails propulsion. All SkySails-Systems can be maintained and rapidly supplied with replacement parts across the globe using the existing service network of Zeppelin Power Systems.
Mar 02, 2010 Russian Railways, Alstom and Transmashholding sign cooperation protocol.
During Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s state visit to France, Russian Railways, Alstom and Transmashholding signed a protocol on technological and production cooperation, as a continuation of a protocol signed in Paris on Alstom’s entry into the ownership structure of Transmashholding.
Commenting on the signing, Russian Railways President Vladimir Yakunin said: "The signing of this agreement is an unprecedented event for us, and reflects the foundation that has been laid by our political leaders in the new relations between Russia and France. For us, this is first and foremost an indicator that the real stage of integration has begun – at any rate, in our sector."
The Russian Railways president noted that the company has already been working with Alstom, and mentioned the agreement previously signed between the companies on the acquisition of Pendolino tilting trains to run between Helsinki and St Petersburg. "The first train of this series is already complete, and we hope that by the end of the year it will pass technical and certification tests, and we will be able to present it to the Russian public. We also want to jointly create a prototype of a new EP20 electric locomotive by the end of this year, and I expect that this will also serve as a dynamic continuation of all the documents signed here," Mr Yakunin said.