The feasibility of advancing India’s railway prowess has come under considerable debate recently. There are practical concerns related to introducing high-speed trains in areas where security is a continuing problem or outfitting severely congested areas with the infrastructure required for metro rail links. The growing focus on the railways as a preferred mode of transport is one that we cannot ignore and the fundamental arguments for developing the railways remain positive.
During this global economic downturn, the logic behind continuing to invest in railway infrastructure has been proved positively. Even economically cautious countries like China continue to dedicate funds to railway projects. According to Chinese media reports released in late 2008, 3.5 trillion yuan was invested in railway projects over three years. Presently, 150 railway projects are under construction, involving an investment of 1.6 trillion yuan. Historical trends show that if adopted, this approach could help nations stimulate and boost flagging economic growth, while catering to commuter demands. As a result of the slowdown, more commuters are opting for cheaper modes of transport to save fuel costs by using public transport.
There is also the undeniable environmental aspect to be addressed. The growing awareness of the benefits of the railways is playing a critical part in how we assess our mobility options. The recent Earth Hour 2009, which united millions of people across more than 1,000 cities, is demonstrative of the public’s participation in the fight against climate change. The arguments supporting the growth of rail networks for mass mobility solutions clearly indicate the environmental benefits for this form of transportation, thereby supporting various country initiatives to combat global warming, including the initiatives in India.
In a study amalgamating the findings of various surveys, three particular areas warrant the public’s immediate attention with regard to development of railway systems. These areas are listed below:
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The scarcity and fluctuating costs of fuel
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The rising population and development of urban areas
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The increasing awareness of environment concerns
The oil concern
Oil prices have fluctuated wildly over the last few years leaving several industries, including transport, struggling to survive and still remain profitable. Even despite the volatility, energy prices increased faster than inflation at more than 12 percent per annum for diesel oil in 2002–2007 (Source: Statistical Office of the European Communities, based on the first 15 European countries (2008). The transport industry heaved a sigh of relief over the dip of prices below $50 per barrel for crude oil in late 2008 and early 2009.
However, the fact remains that oil as a source of energy is rapidly depleting, and therefore, it is not a dependable or long-term solution for lasting mobility infrastructure and systems. Statistics prove that public transport is more energy
efficient in terms of production as well as during operations [per passenger-km, cars use more than 50 percent energy versus trains (heavy rail). Investments in developing the requisite infrastructure for public transportation give a higher return on investment and drastically reduce a country’s dependency on fuel energy.
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Fact-o-file
Facts
1. The number of the passenger cars world-wide
will increase from 500 million (1995) to
2.5 billion (2030).
2. By 2010, road congestion in Western Europe
alone will increase by 188 percent.
3. Total fuel wastage caused by congestion (2007):
2.8 billion gallons
4. Total time delay caused by congestion (2007):
4.2 billion hours
5. Total cost of congestion (2007): $87.2 billion
Conclusion
Congestion worldwide becomes a problem, causing
a negative impact on the GDP.
Instead of passenger cars, public transport should
be encouraged.
Public transport has to move up on the political
agenda as an increasing number of cities need an
efficient public transport system.
(Source: 1, 2 Siemens: Siemens Media Summit 2006
Innovations for the Megatrends of the 21st Century
Source: 3, 4, 5 The Texas A&M University System:
The 2007 Urban Mobility Report)
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The population concern
The world has an ever-increasing number of rapidly developing cities that need mass mobility solutions on an urgent basis. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs/Population Division (World Urbanisation Prospects: The 2007 Revision), as of 2008, more than half of the world’s population was living in cities.
While approximately 19 mega cities exist today (with more than 10 million inhabitants each), this figure is projected to increase to 27 by 2025, an increase of over 42 percent, almost half of which is in Asia. This has led to cities like Singapore adopting drastic measures, such as the introduction of a congestion charge, in a bid to address the severe strain on mobility infrastructure that has clearly failed to keep up with the growing population. Metropolitan cities
such as London, Stockholm and Milan have incorporated a congestion charge to curb the use of cars and encourage citizens to use public transportation. However, in cities across India, the clampdown on the use of individual vehicles will not suffice. Concurrent efforts may also need to be made to ensure the ready availability of public transport in a timely manner and with maximum cost efficiency.
The environmental concern
Growing cities need environment and space-efficient transport solutions like railways to transport the same amount of people into or out of cities. Cars would need 19.4 times the amount of space compared to metros (rail tracks of 9 metres versus 175-metre wide roads). Cars emit about nine times the amount of CO2 emissions compared to metros per passenger-km. With the rise in energy prices, trains offer the most energy-efficient mobility.
The scale of carbon emissions and the resulting effects on the environment has caused several countries to rethink their energy usage as well as emission standards. With cars creating almost nine times the amount of emissions compared to metros, the latter are the obvious choice for cities that are looking to develop their mobility infrastructure in an environmentally responsible way.
Another area of concern is the space required for infrastructural development of metro systems. Simply put, the amount of space available is limited and the population numbers are ever increasing. In terms of space usage, cars would need almost 20 times the amount of space compared to metro trains to transport the same amount of people. Therefore, space efficient transport solutions are the need of the day. With the option of elevated rail links and underground
metros, the railways are the most effective solution to the mobility space problem.
Courtesy: Bombardier Transportation
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