SRS and Eurotransport hold lecture on challenges of modal shift in the transport sector

Carlos Fernandes underlined the importance of the contribution of the railway mode to meet the national and European objectives imposed by the climate challenges, highlighting the need to find a modal split more in line with these same objectives. The Vice-President of Infraestruturas de Portugal mentioned the investments that have been made and those that are expected to take place over the next decade and pointed out as constraints, especially in the northern line, the lack of capacity and competitiveness of the railway compared to other modes of transport. In terms of the high speed rail system, he explained that it would be a fully integrated system in the Iberian gauge, in articulation with the conventional rail network, and later it would be possible to migrate the gauge if necessary. At this moment, he argued, the Iberian gauge no longer has any disadvantages in terms of speed, allowing, on the contrary, the connection with the Spanish network.

In his turn, Miguel Rebelo de Sousa, executive-director of APEF, informed about the work that has been done by the association he represents, in order to promote equality between road and rail, with the objective of increasing the modal share of rail to 30% in 2030. He pointed out that more than a challenge, rail transport can be seen as an opportunity, not forgetting that it has to provide a service that adds value to the client, at a time when price is still a critical factor, so, he appealed, it is necessary to have a partnership between the parties involved to make the modal transition effective.