This removal tolls on highways there is a collateral victim rail transport. renfe without tolls on highways mediterranean corridor will be greatly affected and revenues will fall by as much as 20% on long-distance routes from Barcelona. renfe, loss of passengers and income if no toll system was installed in the future, this rate would reach 4% to 7%. The rise in the cost of electricity has also hit the rail operator, which is considering putting its own energy sources in order to minimize the impact on the accounts.
fuel price factor
Renfe also made an estimate of the impact of a change in energy prices on rail demand on Spain’s main routes. With the increase in fuel prices, the use of trains is increasing, albeit slightly. If the price of fuel increases by 30%, the use of trains increases by 3%. But costs Electricity accounted for 7% and 20% of train operating costs in 2019, without being able to raise prices due to current competition. Bill payable increased from 78 million in 2019 to 162 million in the first quarter of 2022. Renfe president Isaías Táboas announced last week that the rail operator is working on a plan to generate its own energy. Installation of 550 megawatts in 76 factories with an investment of 329 million euros. A self-consumption project that will lighten your bill and pay for itself in three years according to your calculations at today’s prices.
Faced with this situation, Renfe implicitly wants to re-regulate the highway tolls. However, Táboas has officially stated that he “does not want railroad fares to be lowered or tolls placed on highways”, but admits he is “concerned” to accept “if there are tolls” in the rail community. was created and wages were lowered, the number of rail users would increase”.
The key, according to Táboas, is to build customer loyalty and improve services with Renfe. Implementation of payment regulation systems such as direct payment of the ticket with a credit card or biometric systems (recognizing the face at the turnstiles and handling payment or discounts) will be key.
The impact of high-speed competition, with more passengers on some routes but lower prices, is striking. According to Táboas, the demand for public transport was “transformed” by liberalization, the abolition of tolls and the congestion of road traffic.
A demand that moves differently
Specifically, he believes “demand moves differently,” with fewer movements in the late afternoon and more between 2 and 3 p.m., for example. Despite this, according to Táboas, Renfe expects to reach 2019 passenger traffic levels by the end of this year, but currently commercial clientele is still down 16%, perhaps due to telework.
According to Renfe’s analysis, the railway would maintain its revenue level in 2019 (last comparable year) with a soft toll of 2 eurocents/km in Long Distance and 4c/€km in Medium Distance. But the abolition of the toll particularly harmful to demand. train On the Mediterranean corridor and other long-distance routes from Barcelona, an estimated reduction in journeys and revenue of up to 20% is achieved. The environmental impact of eliminating tolls cannot be underestimated either, as vehicular traffic in front of the less polluting train increases.
pay per vignette
An implantation idea vignette payment system (annual payment for road use) will also not benefit rail transport and is a recent argument aimed at reviewing the possibility of establishing a traditional payment from 2024. The government must create a payment system to enforce community regulations, and the currently alternative payment of around 50 euros per year for each vehicle weighs on Renfe is skeptical.
analysis carried out on 2019 status, concludes that in order not to lose passengers and income, the railway needs an average kilometer toll of 2 euro cents for long distance and four euro cents for medium distance. Below these low fare levels, the railroad loses 3% to 4% of passengers and revenue on long-haul routes and 6% to 7% on medium-haul routes.
less emissions
As a result, the global system would no longer be able to free itself from the emission of emissions. 32,000 tons of CO2 per year (equivalent to annual local emissions for electricity consumption of around 120,000 people, such as in Cádiz, León or Tarragona). To this environmental impact we must add the external costs from externalities such as accidents, noise pollution and other high occupation of roads.
Analysis of train demand refers to an average of the main long- and medium-haul routes, but on certain routes the levels of influence become critical. The analysis focuses on different types of scenarios derived from the establishment of a toll system and different payment levels. With a toll of 8 c€/km, the train will earn 11% of its long distance (56 main lines) passengers and revenue, and 8% for medium distance (53 main MD routes).
This environmental benefit At box office level, this represents a saving in CO2 emissions of 84,600 tonnes per year (76,432 tonnes for long haul and 7,872 tonnes for medium haul). With an average kilometer fee of around 2 c€/km across the entire road network, the railway maintains its 2019 travel and income level. From then on, the expected demand increases by 2 percentage points for each toll added. Up to 7 cents (+10% income and travel).
traffic loss
Elimination of the toll, especially train demand (with adverse collateral economic and environmental impacts) on the Mediterranean corridor and other long-distance routes from Barcelona, according to the Renfe studies service. Specifically, the removal of tolls between Barcelona-Valencia and Barcelona-Alicante means -19% demand for the train on the Barcelona-Murcia route and +4.230 tons of CO2 emissions (-27.7% demand, + 900 tons of CO2) and between Barcelona-León ( -31% demand, + 872 tons of Co2). -16.2% trips per year and +1,400 tons of C02 on the Asturias-Madrid route. Renfe experts are a private study The consequences of eliminating the AP-2 toll. The most affected route is the Barcelona-Zaragoza route. The traffic loss is estimated to be around 9.1% immediately.
This toll suspension Reduced rail traffic on the AP-7 (-9.45 Euro, 5 EC/km) between Tarragona and Castellón by 13% (figure based on estimated increase in demand forecast on Barcelona-Valencia corridor-Alicante) resulting from commissioning of Vandellós rail variant Time of journey).
Positive effect on certain routes
On certain routes from 1 cE/Km there will already be a positive impact on the railway. For example, between Huelva and Madrid (+4.5% of train journeys), Almería-Madrid (4%), Cantabria-Madrid (+3%), Barcelona-Navarra (+3%), Seville-Valencia (+%) 3), Córdoba-Valencia (+3%), Castellón-Madrid (+2.9%) or Alicante-Madrid (2.4%). With a toll of 2 euro cents/km, the impact on all these relations is also doubled and rail links between Madrid and other Andalusian capitals and Leon add to the positive impact.
High-performance mid-range, a kilometer toll To maintain the 2019 travel level (if uniform) for the entire road network of 4 € c/km. With a toll of €8 c/km, the railway will earn 7% of passengers and 8% of revenue on main 53 lines. routes. As for the assessment of environmental impact, up to 5 euro cents the impact is always negative (without tolls, 6,777 tonnes of CO2 will be added per year) and from just 5 euro cents per kilometer a positive environmental scenario will begin to emerge. This rises from 1,834 tons of CO2 saved annually at this threshold to 7,872 tons at 8 euro cents and 12,276 at 10 euro cents/km.
Source: Informacion
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