Sunny days are back. We could almost forget that less than six months ago the European media was largely mobilized around the harsh winter conditions that disrupted transport. We cannot yet fully assess the consequences of this harsh winter for the railways.
As Siim Kallas, Commissioner responsible for transport, said in a peremptory manner “the snow does not affect the rights of passengers.” In fact, passengers on international trains should be rerouted or refunded their ticket when it is proven that the train delay exceeds one hour. If they choose to continue their journey, passengers are entitled to assistance (accommodation if necessary, drinks …) and an automatic compensation varying between 25% and 50% of the price of the ticket.
In France, the carriers argued that it was force majeure, and even Météo France had not seen the “mess” coming. The press was amused by the whole situation and wrote anecdotes about the trains that do not arrive on time, and not even on the right day. Television cameras filmed the airports turned into campsites and cars in the middle of skating performances.
We comfort ourselves as we can with idea that France did not act worse than its neighbours. In the United Kingdom, the cold weather has crashed the security software that equips many electric trains which led to blocked trains and an increase in the use of diesel or steam in some parts of the country. The very British moral of this story is that less intelligent trains remain the most reliable.
The Netherlands also experienced persistent snowfall episodes. Their railways won the prize for the worst traffic management in winter. Thousands of passengers were left stranded near Utrecht and their carrier had not received any information about the reasons for the traffic disruptions. The irony this time is that the national railway company (NS) had broadcast advertisements boasting about the excellent winter preparedness measures. The ads were removed faster than the trains travelled.
So what should the railways have done? Passenger information is of paramount importance. A confessed sin is half forgiven, and if it can be announced before committing it, redemption is near. Infrastructure Managers, together with Railway Undertakings, must anticipate delays and announce them as soon as possible. If this is not possible, they must, at least, make the wait less unpleasant. Brussels has recently expanded the list of passenger rights but it does not include entertainment on trains or in stations such as free internet access, toys for children and magazines for parents. And then apologizing and showing some empathy would not hurt. We found a good example on the website of SNCB on 22 December: “Dear customers, 2010 was a difficult year for you.”
Finally, out of ambition, we should try to avoid traffic disruptions related to harsh winter conditions. Lessons can certainly be learned from practices in Scandinavia. Furthermore, Siim Kallas has demanded “better preparation, along the lines of what is being done in northern Europe.” The ten measures announced only in January 2011 by the French government are just a partial translation (generalization of de-icing facilities, training in public speaking for agents working with passengers …)
The European rail infrastructure managers should have followed the advice of their Finnish counterpart which suggested possible solutions at a conference in June 2010: (a) Increasing track clearing rates in order to avoid excessive accumulations of snow. (2) keeping in mind the conditions experienced during the coldest winters when preparing for winter. (3) Ensuring that contractors and other providers of rail services are correctly equipped to handle heavy snowfalls. (4) Establishing back up teams to avoid chain delays due the inability of drivers or traffic controllers to show up for work.
Moreover, international studies are underway to identify and spread best practices. The project Adapting Rail Infrastructure to Climate Change (ARISCC) coordinated by the International Union of Railways brought together experts from different countries in October 2010 and should be soon finalized. Ultimately, a platform will identify models of risk assessment (including mapping of vulnerable areas), the early warning systems and appropriate measure in terms of maintenance and investment.
But make no mistakes, these measures against harsh winter conditions involve high material and human costs and it is necessary to set priorities. Thus, better heating of the switches is certainly more realistic on the short-run than the renewal of rolling stock with snow resistant equipment (another measure in the French government’s list).
Resilience to climate change is one thing, avoiding climate change is another and for that, nothing is better than taking the train.
by Dan Wolff, Managing Partner at Eurotran Conseil
Share on:
