Analysis of economic and social changes with HST introtuction focus on the Italian context

CO

2

the trains. Therefore, when compared with other means of transport, we see that, although

M. Givoni, 2006, Transport Reviews.

30 “Development and Impact of the modern High-speed train: A Review”,

2013, “Rapporto Ferrovie dello Stato.

31 di sostenibilità”, 63

Chapter 5 – Environmental impact

the trains pollute the environment, they do still less than other means, and the relative

advantages of rail transport are not confined to only energy savings but covers other

aspects such as pollution atmospheric greenhouse effect, congestion and safety.

5.3 The conflict in the Susa Valley

A case that has created much controversy in Italy is that involving the Susa Valley, with

its mobilization, regarding the construction of a new street railway Turin-Lyon. In the

early 90s, following significant investment of public money, they have seen the spread of

high-speed trains (TGV) throughout Italy, to provide the country with a rail network that

could compete at the European level. This project does not fall exclusively within the

national plan for the development of the network, but is also among the infrastructure

priorities of the European Union. In fact, the Lyon-Turin rail segment is the intersection of

the two main axes, linking northern Europe to the south, west and east of the continent.

The Susa Valley, between the French area of Maurienne and Turin, is an area highly

urbanized and is divided between Lower Valley and Upper Valley. The local economy is

based on tourism and the more traditional activities such as dairy farming and grazing of

livestock (Leonardi, 2007).

In the early 90s, there was the development of transport infrastructure, together with the

decline of industry in the area. In order to revive the economy, local administrators,

together with investments in industry and transport, link sectors of the local: mountain,

traditional crafts and skiing activities. These local development plans based activities

traditional (crafts, agriculture) and on nature tourism, are proving highly incompatible

with the development of industrial infrastructure and transport, which threaten to

transform the valley into a transit corridor. Little wonder, then, that the conflict between

local development plans and national and quickly exploded, dividing the country into

32 .

groups Pro TAV and No TAV

32 Alta velocità in Val di Susa, L. Greyl, S. Vegni, M. Natalicchio, J. Ferretti, 2009 64

Chapter 5 – Environmental impact

Figure 51 ‐ High speed train line from Venaus to Turin: the Italian side in red, blue in the international part,

black in the existing line, and the municipalities of the Susa Valley

Source: Alta velocità in Val di Susa, L. Greyl, S. Vegni, M. Natalicchio, J. Ferretti, 2009

Between 2000 and 2003, it is noted the progress of promoters TAV Lyon-Turin: the pre-

projects are proposed, modified and approved and The European Union adds the Turin-

Lyon among the priority

infrastructure projects. In answer,

growing protests the No TAV

movement. The most disputed it is the

assessment of impacts and

externalities of the new line. Between

2004 and 2008, it corresponds to the

escalation of the conflict. On the one

hand the promoters strengthen their

unified position, the other the No

TAV movement is mobilizes in

response at the beginning of the

Figure 52 ‐ Estimates of the transit of goods through the Alps for 2030 resonances geological undertaken

Source: Alta velocità in Val di Susa, L. Greyl, S. Vegni, M. Natalicchio, J.

Ferretti, 2009 without local consultation. The flow

of work remains paralyzed until the mobilization is suppressed with military intervention.

As a result of the mobilization that will be settled the Centre to undertake environmental

impact assessments, examining the possible risks to health and the environment. 65

Chapter 5 – Environmental impact

Initially the TAV project was born as a technological advance that promoted the

opportunity to travel, with greater safety and faster (Figure below). In the last decade, the

promoters have placed more emphasis on the transport of goods rather than passengers,

using the term high capacity rather than high speed. One of the objectives leading, in fact,

is to improve accessibility in the Turin (see. Figure below) so that the region and the

country can compete effectively in the European market (Turin International, 2004). As

mentioned previously, the use of rail transport results in a reduction in emissions

emissions as part of air or by

compared to road or air. The Turin-Lyon would reduce CO

2

land would move on high speed, powered by electricity. However, the greatest argument

Pro HST regards the potential benefit related to the solution of the congestion of road

transport. Of the 38 million tons of goods in transit between France and Italy every year,

only 9,000,000 are transported by train. It is estimated that in 2015 the High Speed could

carry 60 millions tons of good.

Figure 53 ‐ The offer of transport planned for the North‐West

Source: Alta velocità in Val di Susa, L. Greyl, S. Vegni, M. Natalicchio, J. Ferretti, 2009

In contrast to the claims of proponents, the studies carried out on the initiative of the No

TAV movement show how a new line is in fact not necessary because the project

objectives can be achieved simply by modernizing the existing line (Debernardi, 2004

Boitani, and Bridges Ramella, 2007).

First, if the current flows through the Alps were to continue over the next two decades,

about 270 million tons of goods will pass annually from 2020 to 2025. The '80% of these

goods (216 million tonnes per year) would continue to be transported by road, due to low

66

Chapter 5 – Environmental impact

costs that this type of transport offers for stock of semi-manufactured or finished products.

In second, even if the rail traffic was expanding, the question could be satisfied by the

existing rail network in the Susa Valley, as it is currently used only at 38% usage (current

trends show that this percentage is decreasing). Remy Prud'homme has conducted a cost

benefit analysis of the TAV.

When drawing up its estimates, Prud'homme takes account of socio-economic indicators

emissions, reducing the

and environmental (time optimization, reduction in pollution, CO

2

number of road accidents), to calculate the benefits TAV compared to road transport. For

example, he calculated that the time saved would correspond to benefits amounting to 88

million euro per year, while the positive externalities in reducing emissions would be € 4

emissions equivalent to 25 € per tonne for a total of 10

million a year, avoiding CO

2

million euro. It was estimated that the total benefits amount to 136.7 million euro a year:

most of these benefits would be due to economic profits (106.7 million euro) resulting

from time saved, while the remaining 29 million would be guaranteed by reduction of

traffic accidents and negative environmental externalities. These benefits are calculated

over a period of 45 years, with a discount rate of 4% and estimates of an increase in traffic

of 2% per annum.

To calculate the costs have been taken into account in the investment and costs

maintenance of the line, according to the following we can see this estimate: construction

costs equal to 4.16 billion per year over the first five years, followed by 427 million euro

per year in period. Prud'homme brings us to estimate that the costs exceed the benefits of

25 billion Euros in 45 years, and concluded that the project would not reach even to cover

the costs infrastructure, resulting in a deficit for both the Italian and the government

French.

With the establishment of the technicians of the mountain community, the municipalities

of the Susa Valley and those of the north - north / west of Turin in 2008 proposed the

alternative project "DO" (Railways Alpine Reasonable and Efficient). The key points of

the project F.A.R.E. are:

• Different routes (metro, lower valley, upper valley and pass) does not saturate all at

once, but one at a time and chain, a result of the saturation of the previous one; 67

Chapter 5 – Environmental impact

• They must be made before the most urgent works, that is, on those traits that should first

get to saturation, and only after the successive sections;

• The line must have features regarding reasonable slope (~ 15 ‰), speed (160-180 kph),

curvature (minimum radius 1500 m), without reaching excesses of the project LTF,

33 .

deemed unnecessary and costly

In the figure below, we can see F.A.R.E. project phases.

33 www.notav.info 68

Chapter 5 – Environmental impact

Figure 54 – F.A.R.E. project phases for line Turin – Lyon

Source: it.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 69

Chapter 6 – Comparison between Italo and FrecciaRossa

CHAPTER 6 – Comparison between Italo and

Frecciarossa

6.1 Liberalization of European Railways and Trains

In Italy, as well as in many countries in Europe, the railway systems developed as separate

privately owned companies operating regional networks with permission to construct and

operate a line being granted or instructed by government legislation. During the 20th

century the railways became organized and run through a country wide organization often

through nationalization. These entities in general had total or virtual monopolies. These

national companies were vertically integrated organizations and it was difficult or

impossible for private or regional enterprises to run their own trains on the national

networks, or to compete in other EU country's railway systems.

Thus in 1991 EU Directive 91/440 was created to make it a legal requirement for

independent companies to be able to apply for non-discriminatory track access (running

34 .

powers) on a European Union country's track

The First Railway Directive 91/440/EC is European Union Directive that sets out an EU

law framework and requirements for railways in the EU to allow open access operations

on railway lines by companies other than those that own the rail infrastructure. The

legislation was further extended by further directives to include cross border transit of

35 .

freight

The aims of the directive are to create a more efficient rail network by creating greater

competition. To achieve the aim member states are required to ensure that organizations

operating the infrastructure (track, signaling etc.), and those operating services (trains) are

34 Directive 91/440/ec: also called “the first railway package”.

A. S. Bergantino, C. Capozza, M. Capurso, 2013, “L’effetto

35 della liberalizzazione ferroviaria sulle politiche di

prezzo delle compagnie aeree e ferroviarie. Evidenze preliminari sui principali collegamenti ad alta velocità in

Rivista di Economia e Politica dei trasporti n°3 articolo 6

Italia”, 70

Chapter 6 – Comparison between Italo and FrecciaRossa

separate