The summer of 2011 has brought two pieces of news from the world of high-speed that have awaken the most controversial emotions in the rail community: the accident on the Chinese network which ended many lives and the inauguration of the first high-speed rail section in Turkey. However, both pieces of news have a common denominator – the politicians and railwaymen’s will to expand the worldwide high-speed network in the attempt to offer citizens an eco-friendly and modern means of mobility between the biggest cities in the world.
The significant infrastructure investments and the commitment towards the networks of roads and highways are still a real hindrance that prevents the inauguration of big work sites around the world.
Bearing in mind the conservatism which defines the railway world, it is however natural (in the shadow of the events in China) to wonder if we are really prepared to take such a step. Shifting to high-speed technologies means for many countries, either European or adjacent countries, a fabulous technological jump. If we took the example of new European Union member states and of the other Balkan countries, we can say without failure that a major part of their networks is damaged, with low technical speeds because they lack the financing necessary for repairs, modernisation and reconstruction. The repeated messages of the large European rail organisations, next to representatives of the European institutions, show the real lack of interest in this transport infrastructure.
Considering the technical as well as management challenges that the high-speed network poses, the above-mentioned question is justified. Public authorities and national railways have not been capable to understand, accept and locate not even new signalling and control generations and standards. The problem of the ETCS/ERTMS has long been debated, although supported by a European directive. However, the technical and management representatives of the infrastructure managers and operators have not managed to harmonise their opinions and investment priorities, in a way that could speed up the process of shifting to the new system. Technically speaking, it is no wonder that this subject is taboo and even SF for the political class, thus lacking support and pressure exactly from the citizens’ representatives.
The real lack of interest in high-speed and paving the road to failure could be seen in the absence of measures that would prepare the national and European level for the expansion of the high-speed network. The countries that have not passed through the gradual experience of France and Germany refuse to put together groups of technical experts (railway, urban planning, marketing etc.) who would analyse and adapt existing experiences to local realities. The poor preparations of work sites, the discontent of local communities, and the lack of integration to the existing network, the lack of specialists are just a few aspects that raise the question “Are we ready for high-speed?”
by Ştefan Roşeanu
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