Modern regional and urban railway transport systems will be confronted with a significant proportion of demands such as commuter transport or other type of journeys. These services are efficient if they are the subject of transparent public obligations signed with public authorities: they ensure mobility, improved safety and environment criteria in densely populated areas.
Commuter services are closely related to the other types of urban transport in the mobility chain that is why their importance should not be neglected. In the future, the set quality standards will have to be delivered for all types of passenger services, including commuter services and they will have to be adapted to the different mobility needs, with special attention granted to people with reduced mobility.
Experts in the area believe that due to the increasing mobility, railway commuter transport will continue to be the main passenger market in close competition to the commuter transport by personal vehicles or by bus. However, these last two types of transport will not pay for the entire generated costs. Moreover, specialists also foresee that the intercity transport segment will also develop with the extension of high-speed railway transport. However, with the existing infrastructure, they cannot cover construction costs entirely. Consequently, the state’s contribution will continue to be necessary, either by increasing the price of alternative modes that would reflect external costs or by providing the financial support for investments or even, why not, both.
To cut things short, more progress is necessary as regards the railway policy if commuter rail transport is to exploit its full potential in the future. Developing commuter rail, especially in South-Eastern Europe, should be the main priority for local administrations. The most famous examples are the S-Bahn networks in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, RER in France, Linee S in Italy, Cercanias in Spain, and in South-Eastern Europe, Beovoz in Belgrade (Serbia) and HEV in Budapest (Hungary).
The commuter rail market in Europe is growing. Due to the development of the urban and peri-urban transport systems, the population that lives on the outskirts of the city is no longer restricted in its mobility choices. The benefits of developing commuter rail are multiple. However, in order to achieve maximum efficiency, this type of service should be connected to commuter buses or park & ride systems for increased intermodality. A simple comparison with commuter transport by car: commuter rail provides fast and comfortable services, reducing the time spent in traffic; safety in traffic is significantly greater than in road transport. Moreover, an increase in commuter services between cities automatically reduces road traffic and, implicitly, congestion and pollution. As for the extension of commuter rail, aside from the social component, there is also the economic component, which refers to the boost in regional economic development.
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