Infrastructure quality and capacity represent now more than ever the triggering factor of the potential growth in volumes and scope of the railway freight transport. While the freight corridors in the European Union represent the main attraction, independent infrastructures, as well as infrastructure start points (sidings) and end points (last mile) tend to be forgotten.
Infrastructure start points and end points contribute a great deal to triggering modal shift, through indepen-dent infrastructures they ensure connectivity between the mainline corridors and at the end, via last miles, they determine very much the competitiveness of railway transport vs. road transport.
Therefore, sidings, independent infrastructures and last miles are important business vectors for ports, forwarders, railway freight operators, infrastructure ma-nagers, wagon keepers and last but not least for their customers. They also provide for additional safety, reliability and indepen-
dence regarding transport planning and are a clear asset for the environment as they help reducing the number of lorries in traffic.
Railway operators have often expressed their discontent related to the fact that there is no approach among the decision-making European railway forums and institutions on solving the problems which challenge sidings and last mile terminals. However, the current recast of the First Railway Package supports these types of railway services. The provisions will come into force by the end of this year and approach three major problems present on the railway market: first of all, increasing the attributions of national regulatory bodies, improving the legal framework for railway investments and, thirdly, ensuring a fair access to railway infrastructure and to railway related services. They represent a direct answer to the complaints formulated in recent years by railway operators.
A series of Romanian companies or se-veral foreign companies present on the Romanian market, activating in the field of railway transport or adjacently to it, have leased, offered on concession or built industrial railways, which allows them to transfer freight by rail.
Recently, in October, voestalpine Steel Service Center Romania, part of the Austrian group voestalpine and the newest member of voestalpine Steel Division, has inaugurated the Steel Processing Centre in Giurgiu.
“The company has built its own railway line in Giurgiu, benefiting from 120 m outside the plant and 100 m inside it, directly connected to the national railway network. We plan to use railway transport to bring raw materials from Austria, especially during winter when the Danube is mostly frozen. For the transport of steel to be pro-
cessed in Giurgiu, we could collaborate with CFR Marfă or with private railway freight operators”, declared for Railway PRO, Stefan Einfalt, Project Manager.
“The availability of private sidings has a direct impact on freight traffic volumes transported by rail. In the past, the number of private sidings has decreased in nearly all European railway networks. This process depends mainly on the financial framework for private sidings with regard to internal provisions of infrastructure managers on the one hand and the availability of national and international funding programs on the other hand”, believe UIC experts.
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