Vision for sustainable passenger and freight mobility by 2050
The shared use of vehicles has not caught on, and lorries are still the preferred choice for the shipment of goods. Emissions are steadily on the rise due to such trends. This has left European public and private stakeholders looking for ways to respond to future mobility demands in sustainable ways. With EU funding, the SPIDER PLUS (Sustainable plan for integrated development through the European rail network – Projecting logistics and mobility for urban spatial design evolution) project developed a passenger and freight mobility vision for 2050. At the heart of this vision lies an efficient, attractive and environmentally friendly railway serving passengers and freight. Innovative and sustainable transport solutions are needed to achieve seamless transportation with electrified rail. This concept was elaborated in a roadmap that contains guidelines to implement innovative and interconnected infrastructures, technologies, procedures and framework conditions. Key topics include the enhancement and optimised use of rail infrastructure, better management of available resources, novel operational plans and the removal of obstacles. To fulfil the 2050 scenario, the vision document also introduces an intermediate step that identifies priority measures and required actions to be implemented by 2030. Project partners developed an interactive guidebook containing policy recommendations. It provides decision-making tools enabling various stakeholders to carry out the roadmap. It is comprised of 17 main elements with key topics to be addressed in the future. Taking into account the challenges and needs of a changing European society, SPIDER PLUS laid down its vision of sustainable mobility for passengers and freight in the coming decades. The day when all key actors will embrace seamless transportation is no longer unrealistic or too ambitious.
Keywords
Freight mobility, rail transport, rail network, sustainable transport, electrified rail
