Supporting the Sustainable Development of Railway Transport in Developing Countries
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sustainability Article Supporting the Sustainable Development of Railway Transport in Developing Countries Agnes Wanjiku Wangai 1,2,* , Daniel Rohacs 1 and Anita Boros 3,4 1 Department of Aeronautics, Naval Architecture, and Railway Vehicles, Faculty of Transportation Engineering and Vehicle Engineering, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected] 2 Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Private bag-10143, Nyeri, Kenya 3 Globalization Competence Center, Széchenyi István University, H-9026 Gy˝or, Hungary 4 Lajos L˝orincInstitute of Administrative Law, Faculty of Science of Public Governance and Administration, National University of Public Service, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 18 March 2020; Accepted: 19 April 2020; Published: 28 April 2020 Abstract: Generally, the development process of the railway transport system is determined by the market pull effects initiated by the economy and society and the market push effects induced by technological progress. The policymakers can provide a balance between these two effects; this results in more effective, safer, and greener future railway systems. In developing countries, the railway systems lag compared to the developed economies. Therefore, the supporting management tools and legal supports for policymakers and strategic management play significant roles in the development of future sustainable transport systems. This paper deals with such required tools and the potential legal framework that support the development of sustainable railway systems in developing countries. The major novelty and advantages of the introduced methodology is the harmonised interaction between society, economic demands, technological development, and regulation. The proposed tools are applied to the Kenya rail system development. Keywords: railway transport; strategic development; developing countries; Sub-Saharan Africa 1. Introduction Transport systems have deterministic roles in the economy and further developments [1–3]. According to European statistics [4], out of all freight transported nowadays, road transport has nearly a 50% contribution, while water-based is approximately 30% and the rail is a little over 11%. Railway networks were established in the Sub-Saharan region almost at the same time as the rest of the world [5,6]. Despite this, the railway network has at least three significant problems [7,8], as shown in Figure1: It primarily serves the harbour networks and former colonisation interests; • It uses significantly different solutions (e.g., rail-gauge) than the rest of the world; and • It has not been well maintained or developed for the last 50–80 years. • Sustainability 2020, 12, 3572; doi:10.3390/su12093572 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2020, 12, 3572 2 of 21 Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 20 Figure 1. Rail traffic densityFigure 1. inRail countries traffic density of Sub in countriesSahara Africa of Sub Sahara(SSA) Africa [7]. (SSA) [7]. These are some of the key reasons why rail freight traffic in Africa accounts for only 7% of the Nowadays,global total. most In the d caseeveloping of passenger countries traffic, thisare share accelerating falls to 2% [9the,10]. development of their railway transport systems.Nowadays, However, most developing they have countries (i) the are existing accelerating systems the development in a rather of weak theirrailway condition transport; (ii) limited financial systems.support However,; (iii) a lack they haveof knowledge (i) the existing in systems planning in a ratherand developing weak condition; such (ii) limitedsystems financial; (iv) limited informationsupport; on (iii)the ainteraction lack of knowledge between in planning society, and developingeconomic such development systems; (iv) limitedand railway information transport systems; (v)on theno interactionclear information between society, on the economic total impact development of railway and railway transport transport on the systems; environment, (v) no clear human information on the total impact of railway transport on the environment, human health, while the health, whilerelated the knowledge related knowledge (sciences) and (sciences) technologies and are changingtechnologies very rapidly. are changing very rapidly. Kenya’s intracity rail network (see Figure2) is a single diesel track operating only during peak hours i.e., to the central business district (CBD) in the morning and from CBD in the evening. Currently, the world is facing a very serious problem—climate change—that has defined the environmental protection to the frontline with agencies, policymakers, regulators, stakeholders’ teams defining ambitious goals to reduce emissions. This is undertaken by either by using simple innovative solutions e.g., improving existing technologies or rethinking new disruptive concepts. The need for efficient and sustainable intracity transportation system has now become indispensable in developing economies such as Kenya. Usually, electric trains are highly preferred for commuter rail service. However, full railway electrification is often applied to heavily-used routes on which the density of traffic is sufficient to justify the high fixed costs. For developing countries like Kenya, however, the availability of adequate electricity is a crucial consideration. This paper discusses and develops an applicable approach to support the policymakers and stakeholders taking part in the creation of strategic development plans for future, sustainable railway systems. Figure 2. Diesel intracity rail Kenya. Kenya’s intracity rail network (see Figure 2) is a single diesel track operating only during peak hours i.e., to the central business district (CBD) in the morning and from CBD in the evening. Currently, the world is facing a very serious problem—climate change—that has defined the environmental protection to the frontline with agencies, policymakers, regulators, stakeholders’ teams defining ambitious goals to reduce emissions. This is undertaken by either by using simple innovative solutions e.g., improving existing technologies or rethinking new disruptive concepts. The need for efficient and sustainable intracity transportation system has now become indispensable in developing economies such as Kenya. Usually, electric trains are highly preferred for commuter rail service. However, full railway electrification is often applied to heavily-used routes on which the Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 20 Figure 1. Rail traffic density in countries of Sub Sahara Africa (SSA) [7]. Nowadays, most developing countries are accelerating the development of their railway transport systems. However, they have (i) the existing systems in a rather weak condition; (ii) limited financial support; (iii) a lack of knowledge in planning and developing such systems; (iv) limited information on the interaction between society, economic development and railway transport systemsSustainability; (v)2020 no, clear12, 3572 information on the total impact of railway transport on the environment, human3 of 21 health, while the related knowledge (sciences) and technologies are changing very rapidly. Figure 2. Diesel intracity rail Kenya.Figure 2. Diesel intracity rail Kenya. 2. Preliminary Review Kenya’s intracity rail network (see Figure 2) is a single diesel track operating only during peak hoursNowadays, i.e., to the the central overall business goal of alldistrict the stakeholders, (CBD) in the visionaries, morning and policymakersfrom CBD in aim the towardsevening. a Currentlysustainable, the future. world The is most facing commonly a very used serious definition problem of sustainability—climate change is [11—]: “that meeting has defined the needs the of environmentalthe present without protection compromising to the frontline the ability with of future agencies, generations policymakers, to meet regulators, their own needs”. stakeholders’ Taking teamthis approachs defining createsambitious a balance goals to in reduce the economy, emissions. environment, This is undertaken and society. by e Fromither by a broader using simple point innovativeof view, [12 solutions] the future e.g. depends, improving on theexisting available technologies natural or resources, rethinking built new infrastructure disruptive concepts. (such as The the needlarge f energyor efficient generation and sustainable stations), intracity technological transportation development, system environment, has now become economy, indispensable and society. in develThis futureoping economies vision is controlled such as Kenya. by the Usually, strategic electric actions trains that are highly derived preferred from an for estimation commuter of rail the service.current situation,However, technologicalfull railway electrification foresight and is demand often applied forecast, to andheavily are- definedused routes for a on future which that the is intended to be attained. Of course, the process of the development and realisation of the future is only a partly controllable, stochastic process [13]. Therefore, the strategic actions must be redefined regularly, based on the actual realised state of development. The indicators in Table1 control progress in such a development process. The indicators list some examples that can be applied when managing future sustainable developments of the railway systems in developing countries. The railway system, along with other