Austria

Interviewees

Helmut Klaus Schimany, Rail Cargo Austria

Dietmar Schratt, Rail Cargo Austria

Manfred Seitz, Via Donau

Andreas Dorda, Federal Ministry for Science and Transport

Steering Committee Representative

Helmut Klaus Schimany, Rail Cargo Austria

Manfred Seitz, Federal Ministry for Science and Transport">

Links

Federal Ministry for Science and Transport

Via Donau

LOGISTIK AUSTRIA

EURO LOGISTIK POOL

MOVE

The overall competencies for RTD policy in Austria are currently split up in two ministries:
- The Federal Ministry of Science and Transport
- The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs
Traffic and transit in sensitive regions as well as social and environmental acceptability have always been the basis for the Austrian transport policy, due to the geographical and topographical situation of Austria within Europe. Thus RTD activities within sustainable transport and intermodality have a high political priority.

One of the Austrian transport policy goals in relation to intermodality is to focus more on the integration of environmental friendly transport means for the long haul and to shift traffic volumes road to especially rail, inland waterways and combined transport (as defined by CEMT). Long term basic research is primarily undertaken by universities, while small-scale studies, accompanying measures and demonstration projects are undertaken by transport planning institutes, consultants, experts from universities etc.

The Overall Austrian Transport Concept (GVK-Ö) was published seven years ago. This sets out the basic features of a transport policy. It aims to create an infrastructure, which meets every transport requirement and makes it possible to switch traffic to environmentally friendly modes of transport. At the same time an effort is made to avoid unnecessary traffic. The Federal Government intends that new, future investment in transport infrastructure should be consistently geared to these objectives and it decided to set clear priorities for the development of a sophisticated modern transport infrastructure on an intermodal basis. As a result the Federal Government and the Austrian Parliament instructed the Transport Minister to prepare a Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan (BVWP).

The Master Plan embodies the essential thrust of this Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan. Based on a calculation of optimum results, it states requirements as to how the railway and road network should evolve by the year 2015. Thought is also given of course to the Danube as a waterway and to the country's airports. The main message of the Master Plan concerns the structure of the network. A survey points to sizeable regional differences in accessibility - especially by rail. A clear correlation was also identified between the accessibility of a region and its economic vigour. Being hooked into the transport system is a factor of major local and regional importance. Additions to the network are thus needed above all in areas where many Austrians suffer by being poorly accessible.

The Master Plan includes all the modes of transport and their associated links. Development of waterway transport on the Danube will dovetail with measures taken by our neighbours both up- and downstream, and the main focus is thus on road and rail. Major improvements are needed in broad areas of the rail network. Measures will aim to eliminate bottlenecks (if possible using intermodal transport) and slow sections of track and remedy inadequacies in regional development. The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan and the Master Plan should be regarded as the practical implementation, as far as sophisticated modern transport infrastructure is concerned, of the 1991 Austrian Overall Transport Concept (GVK-Ö).

The principal transport objectives of the Concept include:

• avoiding unnecessary traffic;
• switching traffic to environmentally friendly forms of transport;
• opening up regions to which access has previously been poor;
• involving the populations affected, in order to secure public acceptance of transport policy.

In concrete terms the Master Plan contains general stipulations as to what the capacity and quality of the transport network and its links should be. The future network will link up to the European transport networks (TENs, TINA) as an integral part of them, but will also play an active part in shaping their future development.

The largest transport programme in Austria till date is LOGISTIK AUSTRIA (technologies for logistics and intermodal transport chains). This programme has been a successful platform for Austrian participation in the 4th and 5th Framework Programme. Among the activities can be mentioned:

• LOFT (low flow fast transhipment) which is an innovative terminal and technology concept for starting block train operations.
• Automated intermodal communication and information flows, planning and control systems for intermodal freight and design of an innovative logistics service centre.
• Modelling for urban freight transport flows (city logistics solution models).

On the policy side the research is focusing on areas like externalities, environmental impacts and emissions, integrated transport concepts for regions, infrastructure planning, and mobility management in the private sector.

The budget for Logistics Austria in the period from 1994-1998 was 9 MEURO. The new programme for Logistics Austria was launched in October 1999 and has now a more stronger direct link to the RTD results.

The MOVE programme, which was launched in 1999, focuses on two main areas of transport innovation. In its first target field it builds on the outcomes of Logistic Austria. The second target field addresses the service quality of public transport facilities. These priorities have been identified on basis of an in depth analysis of needs and problems in the Austrian transport system. The overall goal of MOVE is to enhance innovative activities, which improve the resource efficiency of transport and facilitate the use of environmentally friendly modes of transport. One of the targets aims to enhance intermodal freight transport.

The goals are:

• Improvement of operating efficiency of combined transport of goods.
• Improvement of logistics chain information management.
• Improving the access to rail transport services for peripheral regions.

A programme management committee has been installed for the implementation of MOVE. The main tasks of the programme management are to manage the acquisition of valuable innovation projects, to co-ordinate project funding and to monitor the implementation of the selected projects. The programme management will organise invitations to tenders. MOVE should significantly increase transport demand for environmentally friendly transport modes.