Milan, 13 July 2015
“European Union policy considers adequate, efficient and sustainable transport infrastructures in economic, environmental and social terms as indispensable. Trains are the means of transport that most fulfils this need and modal integration is the only way to fulfil an increasing demand for mobility.”
This was the affirmation made by Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane CEO Michele Mario Elia at the Milan Expo today for the “Green Mobility for the European network of the metropolitan cities” convention promoted by FS Italiane in collaboration with the QV/QC Association.
This conference aims to take a close look at the new scenarios linked to integration of Italian metropolitan hubs with the HS corridors in TEN-T European networks and to illustrate Italian policies for developing the HS system and integrating this with Local Public Transport and provided the opportunity to take stock of the situation concerning programmes undertaken at the national level before representatives from the institutional and business world.
This roundtable chaired by Paolo Mazzanti was attended not only by Gruppo FS Italiane CEO but also FS Sistemi Urbani CEO Carlo De Vito, Inter-regional Commissioner for Public Works in Lombardy and Emilia Romagna Pietro Baratono, ANCI National Council President Enzo Bianco, CONFAPI President Maurizio Casasco, Confindustria Vice President Vittorio Di Paola and ANCE Vice President John Bertazzi.
The Third Protocol of Intent to continue the “QVQC Quali Velocità, Quale Città. L’Alta Velocità - I nuovi scenari ambientali e territoriali in Europa e in Italia. Osservatorio sull’AV/AC in Italia” Project [What Speed, What City. High Speed – New Environmental and territorial scenarios in Europe and Italy. Observatory for HS/HC in Italy” for 2015 – 2018 was presented and signed with the objective of creating a network based on the know-how and experience gained since the first Protocol was signed in 2008. It was signed by around 50 subjects, including FS Italiane, ANCI, ANCE, CERTeT, RUR, CONFAPI and other important representatives from business, association and academic circles.
Over the next fifteen years, Italy will face the challenge from an increase in demand for transport of over 50%, with peaks reaching 80% for freight.
Accessibility, mobility, externality are the three key elements that will determine the ability of Italy to produce value in the near future. Here are just a few figures: 50% of residents and 55% of employed people live on 10% of national territory and over 60% of national consumption is concentrated in the metropolitan areas of Milan, Rome, Naples and Turin.
“Investments in hubs with a high population,” declared di FS Italiane CEO Elia in relation to these figures, “are our priority and must ensure that complex, intrinsically sustainable and multimodal systems of transport operate efficiently.”
“The 2014-2017 Gruppo FS Italiane Investment Plan will play a fundamental role in Italy’s modernisation and economic development,” stressed Elia.
“With 24 billion euros of overall investments planned, over 15 billion (Programme Contract) are dedicated to the conventional network, while 1.7 billion in self-financed investments are for the HS/HC and 6.4 billion for transport services. Our top priority entails works on the TEN-T Network, increasing service quality in urban areas and technological innovation to improve and develop our services.” He then went on to explain, “Our investment programme entails 16 billion euros, with direct impact on developing local transport in metropolitan areas and the regional network. Progress currently stands at 50%, almost all the works planned in Turin and Bologna have been completed.”
“Optimising collective transport and the entire system from economic, energetic and environmental viewpoints,” continued the FS Italiane CEO, “means integrating our offer in a single strategic framework with a clear division between rail, LPT by road, urban rail networks and urban road services. In order to create an interconnected system, we aim to integrate the various systems of transport commencing with planning schedules, offers and selecting the platforms at which trains stop in stations. This entails infrastructural works on platforms, for example, or technological works such as upgrading public information systems to reduce interchange times.”
Elia concluded, “In this context, stations must be considered urban mobility hubs where people can easily find various means of transport to get around the city while paying close attention to sustainability and the environment. Taxi stands, bus terminals with dedicated roads that are equipped to provide information on schedules and itineraries, parking areas for car sharing and e-car rentals and racks for private bikes and those used for bike-sharing, which is becoming increasingly popular in lots of Italian cities; in other words, integrated accessibility to the metropolitan network.”