THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY STATIONS IN AN ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION Tamás Fleischer Institute for World Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY STATIONS IN AN

ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION

Tamás FleischerInstitute for World Economics

of the Hungarian Academy of Scienceshttp://www.vki.hu/~tfleisch

<[email protected]>

Background remarks for the draft opinion TEN/214ECOSOC meeting held in Brussels

Rapporteur: János Tóth9th September 2005

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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 nodenode between railways of different directionnode between railways of different levelnode 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 railgrowing 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

networktool for a European identitytrans-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 necessitypositive social consequence: there are always people

aroundend 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 tracksThe 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

THE ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY STATIONS IN AN ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNIONTamás FleischerInstitute for World Economicsof the Hungarian Academy of Scienceshttp://www.vki.hu/~tfleisch/<[email protected]>

Background remarks for the draft opinion of TEN/214ECOSOC meeting held in Brussels9th September 2005. Rapporteur: János Tóth

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