ECORailS Summary
EU project for enhanced energy-efficiency of regional rail passenger services
Regional rail transport for passengers possesses inherent advantages in terms of energy efficiency and environmental performance. However, rail transport
has not yet realised all its potentials. In the light of increasing prices of energy and growing environmental problems these potentials should be realised.
The project ECORailS addresses the improvement of energy efficiency and the further reduction of the environmental impact of railways. The target groups are
regional Public Transport Administrations (PTAs) which play a key role today when it comes to improving the quality and environmental performance of passenger
rail transport. Tendering, other types of awarding procedures, and Public Service Contracts (PSC) are good instruments for enhancing the environmental and
energy performance of rail services. ECORailS will provide Guidelines for the PTAs in order to successfully include environmental criteria in their awarding
procedures. The ECORailS project aims to reduce the specific energy consumption of European regional passenger rail transport by 15 % by 2020.
Project duration: May 2009 - June 2011
Legally compliant and practical Guidelines for PTAs
The main purpose of the project is to jointly compile
Guidelines which enable Public Transport Administrations
(PTAs) to set realistic environmental criteria for
contracting regional rail passenger services or procuring
rolling stock, with the focus on energy efficiency.
Decision makers within European regional PTAs will be
supported by these Guidelines on every step on the
way to include environmental criteria into their awarding
procedures and service contracts.
The Guidelines need to comply with European awarding
legislation in order to maximise their impact on
overall awarding practices.
The document will show how to create awarding text
modules compliant with European law, usable by PTAs
for regional awarding in all EU member states. The
information provided by the Guidelines will apply to
all established awarding procedures for services and
rolling stock and include criteria for the evaluation of
energy consumption.
A catalogue containing information on cutting-edge
technology along with details on particularly promising
technologies and operational measures will also be available.
technology along with details on particularly promising technologies and operational measures will also be available.
Practical tests in four countries
A draft version of the ECORailS Guidelines is tested
at four European test sites: in Copenhagen/Øresund
(Denmark), Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany), Timisoara
(Romania) and in Lombardy (Italy). PTAs from these
regions are partners of the project. The experiences
from the test applications will be incorporated in the
final version in order to ensure its suitability in daily use.
Both electric and diesel operations are covered by the
tests.
The ECORailS-Test Sites:
- Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany):
Urban catchment with suburban and rural
connections
- Lombardy (Italy):
Agglomeration of rural and suburban lines
- Copenhagen/Øresund (Denmark):
Important European cross-border connection
- Timisoara (Romania):
Regional transport in a new EU member state - both city catchment and network of cities, towns and rural areas; connected to the fourth Pan-European Corridor
Efficiency standards for a sustainable Europe
ECORailS contributes to the implementation of European
sustainability policies, norms and programmes,
and the Lisbon Strategy in particular. The project
facilitates the setting of energy efficiency standards
for a growing European railway market.
Synergy for European Railways
Besides its own research activities, ECORailS will use
the results of previous and currently ongoing technological
projects like EVENT, PROSPER and Railenergy in
order to enable and encourage the European PTAs to
profit from already available results.
ECORailS is cooperating with all involved interest
groups: PTAs, train operating companies and manufacturers.
The consortium will host several feedback
events in order to meet administrative expectations
and requirements.
ECORailS' specific objectives
Quantitative energy and CO2 emission savings:
- 5 % in comparison to current awarding
- 10 % with regard to the currently used rolling stock
- In the long term: System-wide improvement of
energy efficiency for regional railway by 15 %
by 2020