TRANSFORMING THE RAILWAY'S USER-FRIENDLINESS INTO MARKET SHARES

This article analyses the environmental effects of different tran modes in Germany, and shows that the environmental impact of the mode is much less. In 1993, the Single European Market will chal the European Community to develop an environment-friendly transpo policy, because it will lead to an increase in traffic, especiall international traffic. If roads were to capture the largest shar this increased traffic, Germany would be unable to meet its targe a 25% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2005. In 1989, transport accounted for 27.5% of the total energy consumpti the Federal Republic of Germany, with passenger and freight trans accounting for 80% and 20%, respectively, of transport energy consumption. Road transport produced high proportions of several noxious gas emissions, but rail transport produced much lower proportions. Public rail transport was several times safer than transport. Noise from rail was considerably less than noise from and air transport. It is estimated that the equivalent costs in per 1000 passenger-km or 1000 tonne-km, in compensation for environmental costs, were 30.4 and 1.65 for road and rail passeng traffic, and 24.7 and 1.12 for road and rail freight traffic. Th figures show that rail makes very much lower demands on the environment.