Deutschlandtakt to be completed in 2070 instead in 2030?

Source: Image by Frank Wittkowski from Pixabay

The nationwide implementation of the interval timetable “Deutschlandtakt” in Germany was originally planned for 2030. However, according to State Secretary for Transport Theurer, it will be decades before the project is fully completed. Thus, he does not see the Deutschlandtakt fully implemented until 2070. In fact, the century project comes “in stages, as planned from the start” and “will not be postponed”. The project will cost around 50 to 60 billion euros. Based on the Swiss model, rail traffic is to be switched to a nationwide cycle timetable that makes departure times more reliable and predictable for passengers and also makes it easier to change trains. The trains should run every hour in each direction at the same minute – long-distance trains every 60 minutes and on main axes every 30 minutes. Long-distance and regional transport should also be optimally networked with each other. The next major stage will be completed with the completion of among others the general renovation of the Riedbahn on the Rhine-Alpine Corridor in 2025/2026. It will bring the 30-minute cycle between the major cities of Cologne, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Munich and Nuremberg. Source: tagesschau.de

Investor event for beneficiaries of EU-funded R&I projects in energy, transport and Euratom

Source: cinea.ec.europa.eu

Research and innovation results from EU-funded projects can help to solve or greatly reduce the challenges caused by the energy crisis. On Tuesday afternoon, 23 May 2023, the European Commission, in cooperation with Business Angels Europe, will organise a pitching event where companies in the areas of energy, transport, mobility and Euratom can present mature and exploitable results from their EU projects to a panel of business investors. As part of REPowerEU, the European Commission actively promotes the uptake of market-ready solutions to produce clean and affordable energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. During this event, a selected number of companies will get the opportunity to pitch their Key Exploitable Results to a panel of investors. For more information, see: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/events/upcoming-events/investor-event-beneficiaries-eu-funded-ri-projects-energy-transport-and-euratom-2023-05-23_en

Multimodal Digital Mobility Services to come?

Source: stock.adobe.com

The initiative Multimodal Digital Mobility Services (MDMS) of the European Commission aims to better integrate public transport and rail services to achieve seamless multimodal passenger transport, delivering the EU Green Deal. Planning and buying tickets for journeys that combine different modes of transport can be cumbersome for travellers in the EU. To compare different options, many use digital services such as route planners and ticket vendors. MDMS addresses challenges for these services and implements Action 37 of the sustainable and smart mobility strategy. However, the Commission legislative proposal – that is planned to be adopted in first quarter of 2023 – has to deal with conflicts between major rail operators and ticketing platforms. Members of the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) share the ambition of improving international ticketing, putting the passenger in focus. The key precondition for achieving this goal is an open and balanced market. Against this background, CER sees some policy options put forward in the MDMS initiative to overly favour digital platforms, with detrimental effects.

Sources: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13133-Multimodal-digital-mobility-services_en and https://www.cer.be/publications/latest-publications/cer-position-multimodal-digital-mobility-services-initiative