Railway development
What´s the problem?
The rail network in Germany is currently running high capacity. On many routes, the capacity limits have been reached for years, e.g. the Rheintalbahn. At the same time, about 80% of the traffic in Germany takes place on the roads. This applies to both passenger traffic and freight transport. It is therefore clear that a transition from motorised individual transport to public transport or from lorries to freight trains must necessarily be accompanied by the expansion of the railway network in Germany.
What´s the measure?
A comprehensive expansion, modernisation and thus improvement of the railway infrastructure in Germany.
How will this counteract climate change?
In order to reduce CO2 emissions in transport, there must be a development away from motorised individual transport and long-distance freight transport by truck and towards rail transport using green electricity. This development can only be made possible by a comprehensive expansion of the railways.
What other effects does the measure have?
In the long term, the measure could reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and in cities. The resource consumption of the automotive industry would decrease.
How quickly can the measure be implemented?
The implementation of the measure is associated with a considerable expenditure of time and money. It is therefore important that the expansion is driven forward largely independently of business considerations and questions regarding profitability. If the political will is there, even such large projects can be implemented quickly. In other words, this requires a strong lobby in the political arena. Another factor that affects how quickly or slowly the railways are developed is the degree of involvement of the population in the planning process: should there be a grassroots democratic process regarding route planning? How much say should citizens' initiatives have? How do planners deal with the fact that citizens' initiatives position themselves according to the "St. Florian's principle", i.e. they do not really tackle challenges and problems constructively, but want to shift them to other areas or to other groups of people?
How long does it take for the measure to take effect?
Already during the gradual implementation of the measure, the described development from motorised individual transport (both passengers and goods) to collective transport by rail could take place.
Further literature and sources
Umfangreichere Literatur, die hier nicht komplett wiedergegeben werden kann, aber vielleicht als Grundlage für die Maßnahme gedient hat, oder anderweitig von Interesse ist.
