Comeback of the TEA trains?
Scheuer for the more direct connections between EU cities
The Federal Minister of transport, Andreas Scheuer (CSU) presented a concept to allow the TEA to revive. Photo: Christophe Gateau/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
More direct connections between EU cities: transport Minister Scheuer wants the “Trans-Europ-Express” revival. The many find good. However, the implementation is complicated.
Most of the ideas for more rail traffic in Europe, industry and policy to present currently, are old. This includes the Expansion of the Railway infrastructure or the automatic coupling of freight trains heard.
This also includes the idea of more direct connections between major European cities. 30 years of long Association of “Trans-Europ-Express” (TEA) Western European metropolises to each other, before he was hired in 1987. Driven by powerful diesel locomotives, he should offer at the time, a comfortable Alternative to air transport.
On Monday, Federal transport Minister, Andreas Scheuer (CSU) presented a concept to let the TEA revival: With a combination of high – speed and night trains, to offer the Minister, first of all, such a TRANS-European routes, for which there are no major infrastructure measures are necessary. This includes end-to-end Connections between Amsterdam and Rome, Paris and Warsaw or Berlin and Barcelona belong to. With driving times of around 13 hours, these cities should be reachable to each other.
In a second Phase, in the süddeutsche room should be connected more closely with destinations in Eastern and southern Europe as well as Scandinavia. These routes should then be possible, if large infrastructure-completed projects such as Stuttgart 21, the link across the Fehmarnbelt or the Brenner base tunnel.
For the operation of the “TEA 2.0”, as Scheuer christened the project, have in mind the Minister, a new company that will be worn by the national railway undertaking (RU). “This company is authorised as an independent RU, purchases for production and services with the parent companies,” reads Scheuers design.
“Our concept will be the basis on which the company can proceed with high-speed trains and night trains, attractive Connections,” said Scheuer on Monday. “Such a TEE-network for high – speed and night access messenger can stand up to 2025, we need to create the entry now.” The Minister also repeated the claim in accordance with EU-funding programs to make investments and acquisitions for the rail company more attractive.
In mid-June, the Minister had brought in new offers for direct rail connections between major European cities into the conversation and announced, during the German presidency of the EU Council a proposal on how the TEA could be organized across borders.
A revival of the TEA pushes many places on consent. “For the first time, it is a necessity in the direction of climate change,” said Karl-Peter Naumann, honorary Chairman of the passenger Association Pro Bahn. “And it would doubtless be a Supplement to the Germany clock.” So it wants to know, too shy to be understood. With the Germany cycle trains between the big cities to go in Germany in the half-hour rhythm. But it is also about better connections between long – Distance and regional traffic.
With a potential TEA-power Scheuer wants to transfer the clock in Europe: “The TEA 2.0 associating each of the country-optimized systems in the best possible way to a European offer”, – stated in the concept.
The Ecological transport club of Germany hopes that the new TEA is the project, “this again makes it clear what it needs European Union: in Order to overcome boundaries and bring people together.” However, there is a need for more than just lip service. “The EU itself needs to take on the project now.” Scheuer together switched in connection to his Statement with his EU counterparts, to talk about the plans.
The challenges are enormous – alone, technically. In the EU there are different electricity and signalling systems. Add to this a variety of sales and Tariff structure of the national railway company. The topics of night trains and reservation requirements is likely to divide opinion. While, for example, the Austrian Federal railway has reduced their night train range in the past few years, with force, the Deutsche Bahn is always on the low demand and restrained.
However, rail chief, Richard Lutz had spoken recently to European Express connections: “we Think of high-performance, fully customer-oriented Express connections – a sort of European metropolises-S-train from Stockholm to Rome,” he wrote on the job portal LinkedIn. “We think of cross-border regional rail networks for the small border traffic. And we are thinking of more initiatives for cross-border Marketing.”
Scheuer is working hard to achieve this year, a Memorandum of understanding between the EU member States for the movement of people. For the transport of goods, he presented this on Monday In a joint statement, the EU transport Ministers to show more commitment for a better and faster cross-border transport of goods by Rail, known in itself.
