assessement and prospective of european intermodal networks: within nestear

CO-ORDINATION of networks of transport institutes (PUBLIC, private and universities) in central europe and mediterranean

assessement and prospective of european intermodal networks: within nestear

During the last ten years, a team of DEST’s researchers (INRETS’s Department) has been involved in a prospective analysis of intermodal European transport networks, benefiting from the launching of European research programmes in transport socio-economy (PCRD).

The accumulation of experiences has been realised in a progressive way, favouring the transport of goods through different points ; from collection of information, to modelling and evaluation :

Analysis of programmes and transport policies of different European countries, from 1990 onwards, in connection with the “Commissariat General du Plan” in France, then according to the framework of ECMT group on the tendencies of international transport and infrastructure needs.

Studies on European intermodal terminals in connection with Dutch, German and Italian partners : “Terminals and Cargo traffic centres in Europe”, European Quality Label for Terminals) realised for DG 7 (transports), but especially since 1995 a notable valuable research on “Intermodal Transport Quality” in Europe (IQ in 4th PCRD), with the building of possible intermodal transport development  scenarios in Europe, in order to establish a lasting co-operation, in this subject between research institutes and European intermodal transport operators.

Opening of Europe to Central Europe and Mediterranean, with the organisation from 1990 onwards of research institutes network in order to follow the transition, information exchange, data and experience, and last the launching of common research. Every year a seminar on Central and Eastern Europe is organised in Barbizon with the support of DAEI (Direction of International Economic Affairs of Ministry of Transport). This network has largely contributed to elaborate the concept of “priority corridor” used in Pan-European Conferences of Crete and Helsinki. It has been involved in most of the studies on traffic projections realised in Central Europe. The opening onto the Mediterranean started later, following the Conference of Barcelona. A Mediterranean seminar has been organised since 5 years with the support of DAEI. A research on prospective for Occidental Mediterranean infrastructure is the result of these meetings (INFRAMED project).

Elaboration and modelling tools at European scale with an intermodal approach of goods transport:

- description of intermodal networks at European scale (GIS) and implementation of maritime and land terminals

- projection of demand realised in co-operation with German and Dutch partners (desegregated model introducing quality factors, but also more traditional gravity models) in a multimodal approach

- simulation of exploitation systems (localisation of hubs, simulation of shuttle exploitation, block trains, hub and spoke, coupling of trains, ..) essential to explain rail competitiveness conditions and introduce phenomenon of scale economy in the functions of cost which are peculiar to this mode.

Development of transport models in France

- simulation of traffic for RFF (D2S2)

- assessment of infrastructure projects in France for major corridors : Magistrale Eco Fret (East) and Atlantic Eco Fret (CORRINET MODEL).

- definition of a new French traffic model for the French Ministry of Transport (MODEV.M)

- system dynamic modelling.

CO-ORDINATION of networks of transport institutes (PUBLIC, private and universities) in central europe and mediterranean

Following regular seminars, about 20 books have been published concerning specific geographic zones, or monographs by countries, or on sensible zones crossing : 9  documents have been published following Barbizon seminars,  4  following Mediterranean seminars, a book on “transport and environment in Mediterranean” (Economica – C. Reynaud), several books has been published by OECD (Tendencies of international transport, monographs of ECMT countries).

The competence of NESTEAR team has led to important responsibilities in the development of Mediterranean and central Europe projects:

Projections in TEN PRIORITY CORRIDORS within TINA process directed by EU Commission projections realised in collaboration with NEA and IWW in Central European countries, traffic projections, by mode, with different investment hypotheses.

PLAN BLEU "Transport et Environnement en Méditerranée" within the UNDP project on environment in Mediterranean area, preparation of the document relative to transport. This document includes transport projections per countries, consistent with the Plan Bleu scenarios of UNDP as well as estimation on impact of transport on environment. This document is presently updated with new scenarios and new data collected by the Plan Bleu network, which has official contacts in each of the countries concerned.

INFRAMED have been application of Scenarios method to western part of Mediterranean. Major projects have been identified and assessed on closed relation with the countries concerned and with the GTMO (working group of the Mediterranean transport ministries and the Commission.

CORRIMED is an application of the concept of “corridor” to the Mediterranean. The corridor concept has been initially developed in the framework of Central Europe studies turned out to be very useful to adapt certain Central Europe’s experiences to the Mediterranean context; this zone requires a specific approach because of the importance of maritime transport. The report has been presented in Helsinki conference (Pan-European Conference).

RETRAMED is the definition of a research programme for Mediterranean region, elaborated for the European Commission in relation with the countries.

In CODETEN, TENASSESS, SCENES and ASSEMBLING, important case studies directed by the NESTEAR team concerned Eastern and Mediterranean countries.