Regained confidence with Austria’s feeder line operators
Funding provides fresh signals for this line of industry: Money goes investments in stock and the expansion of feeder lines
A restructuring of feeder lines funding at the beginning of the year provided important signals for traffic relocation. The impact this has on this line of industry and the present developments regarding rail infrastructure, rail operation and railway laws were the topic of discussion on 8 October when 40 participants came together in the cultural centre in Gratkorn (Styria) at the annual meeting of the Association of feeder line operators (VABU).
The result is quite positive when looking at the funding issue: In total 22 commitments amounting to a total sume of about 3,3 Million Euros were made. About two thirds of the applications are accounted for by funding of investments into stock of the feeder line operators. The rest is destined for the expansion of the feeder line network as well as the handling facilities in intermodal traffic (new constructions and expansions).
With the restructuring of the funding for feeder line operators a long-term demand was implemented and this is an important sign for the domestic railway system. With the new funding programme an important step towards a stabilisation and increase of cargo volumes by rail has been set. Thereby we are also getting closer to the political target of reaching a 40 per cent modal split”, emphasises VABU president Markus Schinko during the meeting. With a volume of 70,56 Million out of 113 Million net tonnes, about two thirds of the cargo volume by rail are handled on feeder lines. The feeder line volume 2014 increased when compared to the figures generated the previous year. In total about 1,26 Million rail waggons were provided.
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