Passenger trains in Germany will soon have to leave freight trains carrying coal. These are the plans of the federal government in case of aggravation of the energy crisis in the country. And it is more than likely that they will be implemented – after all, problems with the supply of fuel to industry and plants are growing.

The situation is serious: due to drought on important waterways such as the Rhine, there is a sharp drop in the water level, which inevitably leads to the fact that cargo ships, which are extremely important in the global energy transport system , due to the shallow depths, it can only carry part of the common load.

The problem is that freight traffic normally carried on the Rhine cannot be transferred to the railway in the same volume. This is because the German rail network is busier today than ever before. The repair works on the railway infrastructure, abandoned for about three decades, and the increase in the number of passengers traveling with a reduced ticket, are causing serious stress not only to the railroad’s customers and employees, but also to the rail network itself. .

Railway in the fight against the energy crisis

60% of German long-distance trains do not arrive on time, although Deutsche Bahn no longer considers delays of up to six minutes as a delay. Things are a little better on the local lines, where almost 90% of regional trains run on time. Freight trains are also not distinguished by punctuality and reliability.

The energy crisis has worsened significantly in recent years due to cuts in Russian gas supplies and sanctions against the Putin regime. In addition, dry, hot summers have lowered the water level on the Rhine and other important waterways, so German authorities can now only expect rain. However, Volker Wissing of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and his fellow Minister of Economy and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck can get the railway to change the signals for freight trains from energy to green. This is exactly what is being worked on in Berlin.

Gelsenkirchen-Scholven plant burns 20,000 tonnes of coal a day

“The objective is to ensure the operation of plants, refineries, electrical networks and other vital enterprises,” the federal economy and transport ministries said in a document released over the weekend. For this, the government wants to prioritize rail transport of energy for six months.

Freight trains already transport coal, oil and gas

The rail market leader, state-owned Deutsche Bahn, puts 50 freight trains on the rails a week, each carrying 3,000 tonnes of coal. Does it look impressive? But not that. According to a study by the DPA news agency, just one large coal-fired power plant, such as the one in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven, burns 20,000 tons of coal a day at full load. However, the advantage of this energy carrier is that coal for power plants and factories can be stored – and does not have to be delivered “just in time” to its destination.

Oil and gas transport is dominated by private rivals Deutsche Bahn, united in an alliance called the Network of European Railways (NEE). The association’s deputy managing director, Neele Wesseln, is skeptical of the federal government’s plans. In the end, freight trains can now receive priority today, but subject to additional payment for express transport.

His colleague and director of this association is also not enthusiastic about the government’s plans. “It looks good, but it may not be an absolutely unrealistic idea. There is already enough chaos on the railway”, – said Peter Westenberger (Peter Westenberger). He called for “detailed discussion rather than loud statements”.

The introduction of the €9 travel ticket wreaked havoc on the railway

It goes without saying that representatives of organizations that protect passenger rights are opposed to giving priority to trains carrying coal, oil or gas. “No local or long-distance trains should be canceled for freight traffic,” demanded Detlef Neuß, president of the Pro Bahn passenger association. According to him, the chaos caused by the distribution of discount tickets for 9 euros this summer has made the serious problems of the German railways obvious to all.

“For the past three decades we have been sleeping when it comes to expanding the rail network and even criminally destroying infrastructure. More delays will force people to leave trains and get back in their cars,” Noyce said, quoted by the dpa. “That’s exactly what we don’t want.”

Government promises to avoid passenger delays

According to the government’s plans, in general, passenger delays should be avoided, even if in some cases passenger transport has to wait, emphasizes German Transport Minister Volker Wissing. Deutsche Bahn hopes that when the €9 travel pass campaign expires at the end of August, passenger traffic may decrease. Furthermore, all possibilities to lengthen freight trains or increase the number of night trains have not yet been exhausted, explained representatives of the sector.

However, there is a problem with stretching freight trains: wagons are in short supply across Europe. So far, neither Deutsche Bahn nor its private competitors have noticed an increase in demand for energy transport. “The decree giving priority to power trains is a sensible precaution by the federal government,” said Deutsche Bahn. “But it’s not yet clear whether it will have to be applied.”