Regionalization in Public Short-Distance Passenger Traffic Klaus Daubertshäuser

S Rural Railways

pecial Feature Regionalization in Public Short-Distance Passenger Traffic Klaus Daubertshäuser

The present developments in public short- of short-distance traffic and soon moved mentally new concept in short-distance distance passenger traffic in Germany into this neglected area, which is now traffic in Germany, freeing it from the would be unthinkable without railroad the center of investments, because “Cinderella role”. In the past, the State reform and the accompanying regionali- regionalization has made the short-dis- railroad had to meet almost every wish of zation. Regionalization of public short- tance traffic market an important growth states and communities with no chance distance passenger traffic (ÖPNV) on 1 centre with a yearly volume of around of payment or profit. This was the main January 1996 was an essential part of the DM30,000 million. Regionalization has cause of the continuing high deficits of railroad reform started by Parliament in De- taken short-distance passenger rail traffic short-distance traffic in the government cember 1993 with the passage of the Rail- out of the shadow of tax subsidies. railroads. road Reorganization Law. Consequently, For the states to be able to fulfill their le- A target of the rail reform is to get more the responsibility for organizing and fi- gal obligations, they will receive about traffic on the railroads; after the Federal nancing the entire ÖPNV—including the DM8,700 million in 1996, and DM12,000 government took over the DM70,000 short-distance passenger rail traffic— million in 1997 from the Federal govern- million debts of the Bundesbahn and passed from the State to individual states. ment. At the same time, Germany has Reichsbahn, the government hopes to Previously, communities and states had become the first EU state to comply with support this ambitious target by regionali- been responsible only for buses and European law by opening the DB rail net- zation, leading to more effective short- subways in the cities. Short-distance rail work to third parties. This means that any distance traffic meeting citizens’ needs. traffic was administered by the Federal approved rail traffic business can use the Current finances will be used to provide government or the former Deutsche DB network on payment of various more and better short-distance traffic, Bundesbahn. All this changed completely charges. This has created the precondi- based on the premise that the regions with the railroad reform and regionali- tions for a traffic revolution in Germany. know best what public short-distance pas- zation. What seems very matter-of-fact Competition on the railroads has changed senger traffic—including rail traffic—they today, was actually a revolution in trans- the market situation completely for DB. need. This is the fascinating idea behind port and politics. The principle of regionalized short-dis- regionaliza-tion. Some critics said that DB On 1 January 1994, the Deutsche tance traffic is: “The user pays.” meaning has used regionalization to retreat, but Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn whoever requires short-distance traffic everyone knows today that the exact op- were converted to a modern stock corpo- services to be furnished in individual re- posite is true. ration, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB), freed gional markets must contract with DB or In the next 5 years, DB will invest about from the rules of bureaucracy; it has a another rail traffic business and must pay DM7,000 million in new and modern modern structure, and operates success- the market price. The rail traffic enter- short-distance rolling stock. The entire fully in the traffic market. prise “sells” the traffic service and is paid fleet will be replaced or modernized DB quickly recognized the importance the market price for it. This is a funda- before the end of the century. Three hun- dred lightweight powered railcars have already been ordered within this programme—the largest investment in German railway history. These cars are about 30% lighter than conventional cars. In addition, they are constructed mainly from proven components used in buses. They still cost more than a bus, but are equivalent in terms of maintenance ex- penses. They achieve several targets:

* Reduced costs * Improved attraction (improved acces- sibility for all passenger groups, especially for disabled passengers; better train changes; attractive internal and New Light Multiple Unit (G. Dwelk) external design)

18 Japan Railway & Transport Review • November 1996 Copyright © 1996 EJRCF. All rights reserved. * Improved safety level (high braking power for handling hazards; continu- ous communication by train radio; defined energy-absorption ability)

These cars are a decisive step to become able to compete with automobiles and buses on side tracks at low loads. Many side tracks—especially in the new states of the Federation—which were hardly profitable because trains were drawn by locomotives, are enjoying a renaissance. The cars reach an average maximum speed of about 130 km/h and present a Series 670 Double-Decker Rail Bus (DWA) real alternative to the automobile. From the cost viewpoint, the cars are at- timetable, towns of a region are serviced in mind, DB is offering tailored short-dis- tractive for states and communities. Over- at fixed intervals all day (including Satur- tance traffic to regions, starting from plan- all, this is intended to prevent closure of days and Sundays). There are good con- ning, routing, and actual operation. In short-distance rail traffic for reasons of nections to long-distance traffic and, in this manner, DB is exploiting new con- profitability, and replacement by “rubber the ideal case, to buses. cepts. For example, in Schleswig-Hol- rails” (bus). Naturally, there are lines This is based on the simple philosophy stein, our most northern state, ZugBus where even these cars cannot have the of: get in, go, and return, with the cer- GmbH (a rail-bus company) has been es- desired effect, because the passenger vol- tainty of assured connections and with- tablished, combining the most important ume is too low, and here the bus must be out having to study timetables. Thus, the means of transport under a single roof. used. integrated interval timetable offers simi- The concept of combined bus and rail To connect regions to regional hubs served lar convenience to the car. In the states aims to provide an attractive service pack- by InterCity or high-speed InterCity where the timetable is in use, high pas- age for customers, notable cost savings (for Express trains, the railroad offers four senger increases (up to 40% on individual states, districts, communities), and exten- products to short-distance customers: lines in Rheinland-Pfalz) have been ob- sive rationalization for service providers. tained. In Rheinland-Pfalz, we will re- 1. SE—city express open four lines by the start of 1997. The DB AG is open to any type of coopera- Quick connection between congested high demand—triggered by the time- tion. Only when all enterprises join forces area junctions at hourly intervals table—has changed provisional trial for short-distance traffic to offer the cus- 2. RE—regional express operation to regular operation. tomer and the provider a seamless service, Quick connection to all larger centres “Travelling by rail must be as comfortable can short-distance traffic survive compe- of region, at least at intervals of 2 hours as possible”. Based on this simple for- tition and win the future for itself. The 3. RB—regional rail mula, DB wants to attract more traffic onto decisive factor will be which traffic sys- Traffic connections for sparsely-popu- the railroads, and wants to expand poten- tem and not which enterprise can remain lated regions at fixed intervals tial in congested areas as well. With this in competition permanently. 4. S-trains in rapid succession (congested areas) Klaus Daubertshäuser Depending on demand, NeuTech trains, double-decker cars, or modern light- Klaus Daubertshäuser is a board member of Deutsche Bahn AG with responsibility for short-distance weight powered railcars are used. In passenger traffic. After school and military service, he worked as a commercial official, in personnel administration, and in labour and social law relations. In 1980, he was elected transport spokesman addition to new cars, DB offers passen- for the SPD party in Parliament. He was a member of the administrative board of DB from 1988 to gers and service providers an optimized 1993, and of the Deutsche Reichsbahn from 1991. timetable, such as the integrated interval timetable. With this easily-memorized