Report

The scope for extending the current scope of public transport concessions

What is the scope for widening the scope of the present Long-term Agreement with Dutch Rail (MJA-NS)? What gains can be achieved in the field of energy conservation? These questions were put to CE by the Dutch institute SenterNovem, in the light of plans to grant transport concessions to parties other than Dutch Rail-Passengers (DR-P), which would mean a steady decline in the transport performance under the present agreement.
Based on a number of factors for success and failure reported in the literature, it was found that of the transport sectors, public transport (bus, tram and metro) and rail freight transport are the most suitable candidates for extending the present arrangements.
For each of these sectors/companies, energy consumption and potential conservation measures were inventoried. The total energy consumption of the cited public transport companies is about 80% of that of DR-P, that of rail freight transport around 14%. The results showed that in both relative and absolute terms substantial savings can be achieved under the terms of a new MJA by implementing energy-saving measures based on renewable energy sources.
For public transport and rail freight transport, several conclusions are presented with respect to the pros and cons of including these in a wider MJA. Recommendations are also made for follow-up action within this process.

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