Transcript THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY STATIONS IN AN ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION Tamás Fleischer Institute for World Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences http://www.vki.hu/~tfleisch Background remarks for.

THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL
RAILWAY STATIONS IN AN
ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION
Tamás Fleischer
Institute for World Economics
of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
http://www.vki.hu/~tfleisch
<[email protected]>
Background remarks for the draft opinion TEN/214
ECOSOC meeting held in Brussels
Rapporteur: János Tóth
9th September 2005
The role of international railway stations
in an enlarged European Union
 Historical background
 The new role of the railway stations
 The railway station as an inter-modal
transport node
 The railway station as an inter-face between
the rail and the city
 Consequences for the enlarged area and the
new members
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Historical background
 Periods of the railway:
 1840s to 1910s „golden age of the railways”
 1920s to 1980s „nightfall of the railways”
 From the 1980s on „renaissance of the railways”
 (Source: Meinhard von Gerkan (1996) Renaissance der Bahnhöfe)
 Periods in the transport
 Industrialisation – triumph of the rails
 Modernisation – domination of the car
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Historical background
Shift in dominance
between different
modes.
Time-to-time a new
technology helped to
create a new dominant
transport mode.
Source: Nebojsa Nakicenovic
IIASA 1988
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Historical background
Shift in dominance
between different
modes.
Time-to-time a new
technology helped to
create a new dominant
transport mode.
Source: Nebojsa Nakicenovic
IIASA 1988
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Historical background
 Periods of the railway:
 1840s to 1910s „golden age of the railways”
 1920s to 1980s „nightfall of the railways”
 From the 1980s on „renaissance of the railways”
 (Source: Meinhard von Gerkan (1996) Rennaissance der Bahnhöfe)
 Periods in the transport
 Industrialisation – triumph of the rails
 Modernisation – domination of the car
 Post-modern period – no dominance
(‘everything goes’, time for the integration,
inter-modality, co-operation etc.)
 (Source: Oka, Namiki (1995) The new shape of stations)
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The new role of the railway stations
 The railway station as a node and a place in the
same time
 (Source: Luca Bertolini (1996) Nodes and places: complexities of
railway station redevelopment)
 The station as an inter-modal transport node
node between railways of different direction
node between railways of different level
node between the railways and the local transport
facilities
 The station as an activity pole within the city
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The railway station as an inter-modal
transport node
 Double origin of the new role
 High Speed Train as a connection between bigger
distances: railway on a continental scale
new distances, new type of passengers,
new importance of these people for the city
 Multi-polar suburban space,
growing role of the suburban rail
growing importance of the integrated urban
and suburban transport; transport alliances
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The railway station as an inter-modal
transport node
 The station as an access-point of the international
network
tool for a European identity
trans-European norms of inter-modality requirements
 The spread of trans-European norms in the new-
member countries
even if the HST is not timely in the new member-states,
the access to the TEN-rail network from those
metropolises is similarly important.
up-to-date railway stations should became the basis of a
European transport culture.
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The railway station as an inter-face
between the rail and the city
 Changing role of the railway station from single
function element towards multifunctional urban pole
traditional non-place role begins to disappear (waiting hall)
need for multifunctional urban poles
the commercial activity become a financial necessity
positive social consequence: there are always people around
end of city’s turning back to railway stations
 The key element: the railway station must be similarly
important for the city, as the city for the railways
that makes possible the creation of the partnership between
equal actors.
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The railway station as an inter-face
between the rail and the city
 Consequences for the new member states
 There is a pressure on rail companies to sell off their
land and/or halls; liquidate tracks
The business perspective tends to count with the value of the
land without the rail, while the rail tends to
under-estimate the urban position relative to
logistic values.
 There is also a pressure to liquidate important inner
city railway stations for other urban functions
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The railway station as an inter-face
between the rail and the city
 Consequences for the new member states
 Direct connections between city centres are vital not only for
high-speed trains but for all international rails, including all
sections of the trans-European transport network.
 Development of a dense network of public transport links
providing smooth connections between railway stations and all
parts of the city is particularly called for in city centres.
 Railway stations may serve as mobility and information centres
for the different transport modes operating in transport alliance.
 Connections should also be developed between city-centre
railway stations and the city airport.
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The railway station as an inter-face
between the rail and the city
 Consequences for the new member states
 It is not the land in itself that is worthy for utilising, but there
should take into account both the urban position and the logistical
position of the area, in order to ensure maximum long-term gain
for cities.
 Experience shows that the sharp functional borderline between
railway station and urban texture is gradually becoming blurred,
and railway stations are emerging as both profitable and attractive
public spaces by incorporating a wide range of urban services.
 Existing main stations still are not necessarily the best locations
for future high-speed train stations. Judging by the most
successful instances to date, the best way of combining the
energies released by regeneration of the railways and urban
development is to establish new urban centres within cities, but as
an alternative to traditional city centres
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THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL
RAILWAY STATIONS IN AN
ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION
Tamás Fleischer
Institute for World Economics
of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
http://www.vki.hu/~tfleisch/
<[email protected]>
THANKS FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
Background remarks for the draft opinion of TEN/214
ECOSOC meeting held in Brussels
9th September 2005.
Rapporteur: János Tóth