Troca de correspondência no seguimento do envio para a iniciativa Year of the rail/get involved de email manifestando a divergência entre as diretivas comunitárias e a política ferroviária do governo português, e referindo a realização em 2 e 3 de fevereiro de 2021 da Portuguese Railway Summit com, em anexo, o email enviado às associações de operadores e gestores ferroviários. A resposta é da assessora do coordenador do corredor atlântico
Dear Isabelle Maës
Thank you very much for the quick and clear answer to the somewhat embarrassing question we asked.
A good relationship between EU institutional bodies and citizens and a free discussion of different ideas is proof of the community's vitality.
Your answer confirms previous contacts with DG MOVE who reiterated their harmony with the Portuguese government's railway policy, which we disagree with.
Look for instance, in 2010 there was no obstacle to the EU granting of co-financing for the Poceirão-Caia high speed connection (Portuguese part of the Lisbon-Madrid connection) and it was the Portuguese government that unilaterally canceled the contract already awarded in 2011.
The financial viability of this connection is based on the transfer of air demand and the calculation of externalities associated with it.
We are aware of the poor cost-benefit analysis carried out for the Aveiro-Mangualde section.
But this a single line, that together with the branch Pampilhosa-Mangualde (part of the existing Beira Alta line) has continuity to Spain by another single existing line. Therefore the system constitutes a Y, in which the Mangualde to Spain single line, divides in two west of Mangualde, one to Pampilhosa and another to Aveiro. So there is almost no increase in the overall east-west capacity, therefore the cost-benefit relationship is very poor and the project was correctly rejected by the EU.
A completely different thing is a new double track line from Aveiro to Spain, competitive for goods and passenger traffic. Even though more expensive, it is of critical importance for the portuguese economy, as it is the line that serves the main portuguese exports to Spain and Europe. A rough calculation indicates that the portuguese imports and exports that would use this line every year would be worth 14 times the total construction cost of the portuguese part of the line.
It is the competitiveness of most portuguese imports and exports that are at stake. This would change completely the cost benefit analysis, as compared to the Aveiro-Mangualde branch. Adding to the above the existing Beira Alta line, whatever the upgrades to be done, has no capacity to receive the necessary number of trains to meet the EU goals of shifting 50% of the medium and long distance road freight traffic to rail and maritime transport until 2050. In 2019 we exported by road to Spain and Europe 17 million tonnes. 50% of this corresponds to about 5700 trains per year and each train will consume about 60 kWh/km, comparing with 450 kWh/km for 65 trucks needed to transport the same amount of load.
You can see at Annex 3 of the 2nd letter to Commissioner an estimate of the demand of rail freight traffic in these corridor.
But If there are others cost-benefit analysis that contradict the execution of the new TEN-T lines please inform us how could we have access to them.
According to our professional experience in public infrastructure investments, it takes at least 10 years between the decision and the commissioning of a rail link. This is why we disagree with the decision of the Portuguese government do not elaborate from now the projects of the new TEN-T lines in Portugal up 2030 or close to 2030 for ERTMS and UIC gauge ab initio.
At your disposal for any clarifications, thanks for your cooperation.
With Best Regards
Fernando Santos e Silva
Enviado: 10 de fevereiro de 2021 11:32
Para: 'santos.silva45@hotmail.com' <santos.silva45@hotmail.com>
Assunto: FW: Year of the rail-get involved / Railway connections between Portugal and Central Europe, for passengers and goods
Dear Mr Santos e Silva,
The European Commission is in close contact with the Portuguese authorities about their rail infrastructure investment plans. Some new high-speed lines that are part of the TEN-T Regulation cannot be constructed for the time being given their poor cost-benefit analysis and financial viability. That is why Portugal’s strategy and plan until 2030 is mainly focused on the upgrade of existing lines.
With kind regards,
Isabelle Maës
Policy Officer TEN-T Atlantic
European Commission
DG Mobility and Transport
Unit B.1 Transport Networks | Office 06/037
Rue Jean-André de Mot 28 | 1049 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 296 53 50 - Mobile: +32 460 76 53 50
Twitter: @TenAtlantic
Web: ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/infrastructure/atlantic_en
From: infoyearofrail <info@yearofrail.eu>
Sent: Monday, February 8, 2021 4:57 PM
To: MOVE C3-EUROPEAN YEAR RAIL 2021 <MOVE-C3-EUROPEAN-YEAR-RAIL-2021@ec.europa.eu>
Cc: SZYSZKO Katarzyna (MOVE) <Katarzyna.SZYSZKO@ec.europa.eu>; VON CYSSEWSKI Rabea (MOVE) <Rabea.VON-CYSSEWSKI@ec.europa.eu>
Subject: Fwd: Year of the rail-get involved / Railway connections between Portugal and Central Europe, for passengers and goods
FYI
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Fernando Santos e Silva <santos.silva45@hotmail.com>
Date: 02/06/2021 8:50 PM
Subject: Year of the rail-get involved / Railway connections between Portugal and Central Europe, for passengers and goods
Hello
We took note with interest of your message in https://europa.eu/year-of-rail/get-involved_en
As members of a group of Portuguese businessmen, technicians and academics, we saw with concern, despite the unanimous declarations of support for the international year of the railway, the lack of a plan by the Portuguese government for the construction of the portuguese new lines of the transeuropeans networks, according to Regulation 1315/2013, including the Atlantic Corridor with ERTMS and UIC gauge.
Taking place in 2nd and 3rd February the Portuguese Railway Summit, we sent the message that we attached to several European railway agents, suggesting pressure on DG MOVE to agree with the Portuguese government the railway stategy change.
This is also the purpose now of our contact.
With Best Regards
on behalf of the subscribers of the attached message
Fernando Santos e Silva
Attached email:
To: Stakeholders/Passenger and Freight Rail Operators
Lisbon, January 28, 2021
Dear Sirs
Subject: Railway connections between Portugal and Central Europe, for passengers and goods
As members of a group of businessmen, technicians and academics, we are concerned about the state of Portugal's rail connections to Europe and the lack of reliable planning for the implementation of the Portuguese component for mixed traffic of the TEN-T trans-European network, according to regulation 1315/2013 (with the aim of its completion in 2030: North Atlantic Corridor: port of Aveiro-Salamanca; South Atlantic Corridor: port of Sines / Lisbon-Badajoz-Madrid; coastal link: port of Sines-Lisbon-Porto-port of Leixões).
At a time when the EU is preparing for post-pandemic recovery, when the relevance of the “Green Deal” and the “Sustainable and smart mobility strategy” is unanimously recognized, when the year 2021 was declared an international year of the railway, and for our country is essential to increase exports, we think that it is also in your interest, as operators of transport of passengers or goods, to be able to access the Portuguese network in conditions of full interoperability as part of the single railway space, in the precise terms of the Fourth Railway Package of 2016 [1] and Directive 2370/2016 [2].
Unfortunately, the required interoperability conditions do not exist today, given that the existing network was built with Iberian gauge (1668 mm) and the Portuguese government has no plans for the construction of new sections in European or UIC gauge (1435 mm) until 2030 nor after that date. We alerted the European Commission to this issue in several letters [3], confirming the situation with official documents and statements by members of the Government.
We are also concerned that the European Commission assumes that after 2030 the Portuguese lines of the EU Core Network will migrate from the Iberian gauge to the European gauge easily, as if they were normal railway maintenance and modernization works. This is not possible given the long periods of disruption of train traffic that requires the transition of the gauge on polyvalent sleepers, as based on our 4th letter (2020-12-09) to the Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean. This situation will entail decades of delay and cost increases, avoidable if the European gauge is introduced now in the construction of the Atlantic Corridor new lines.
80% of imports and exports (in value) are done by road.
In 2019, the value of Portuguese exports of goods to Europe was:
by sea 9 billion euros ( 9.7 million tons)
by road 36 billion euros ( 16.8 million tons)
by rail 540 million euros ( 0.2 million tons) (and only for Spain).
In 2020, under the effects of the pandemic, in the first 11 months of the year the value of exports by all modes to the whole of Germany and France was 12,664 million euros, while for Spain it was 12,565 million euros.
These indicators show that compliance with the Community directive (regulation 1316/2013) for transferring 30% of the road load above 300 km to the least polluting sea and rail modes requires intense work, and that is very important the integration of the Atlantic Corridor into the EU's unique rail system. To minimize the negative consequences of this transfer for road operators and their employees, it will be imperative to develop solutions for transporting trucks or semi-trailers in wagons (railway motorways).
The high-speed component of the South Atlantic Corridor (between Lisbon and Madrid) also finds its justification in the substitution of air travel up to 800 km for environmental reasons.
In terms of operating efficiency, and satisfying the requirements of the interoperability 4th pillar for national rules suppression, interoperability solutions on the infrastructure side (new lines in UIC gauge, ERTMS, 25 kVAC and train length of 740 m ) lead to more competitive solutions than complementary or transient systems such variable axles, or even multipurpose sleepers.
Even though these systems may be useful during the transition phase, they are not good permanent solutions, as they are impeding until 2030 and at normal costs the access of existing and planned European trains to the Portuguese rail network, with the consequent lack of international competition.
As mentioned in our 1st letter to the Commissioner for Transport (2020-07-29) the motivation of the Portuguese government for these policies is the protection of Portuguese rail operators from international competition [4], but this is illegal under the EU Treaties and contradicts the successive statements by European transport ministers in 2016 [5] and 2020 [6].
For these reasons, we consider that it could be very useful your pressure on European Commission DG MOVE to persuade the Portuguese government to change its policy of exclusivity of the Iberian gauge and not planning the UIC gauge.
The positive result that we wish from your diligence with the Commission, if you undertake it, would be the elaboration by the Portuguese Government of the projects, immediately followed by the construction, of the new lines of the Atlantic Corridor in European gauge (UIC gauge), as required by the EU regulation 1315/2013. This should be a necessary condition for access to EU co-financing, in particular CEF. The technical characteristics, financing, coordination and construction timings of the international lines of the Atlantic Corridor should be the subject of tripartite Portugal-Spain-European Commission agreements.
Awaiting your comments,
Best regards
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