Europe has no shortage of ideas to improve military mobility by rail. Earlier, RailFreight.com published an explainer outlining some of them. However, those ideas cannot count on support from everybody. A Ukrainian expert offers a critical perspective on these plans.
A big improvement to European rail would be the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It could improve safety and interoperability between European rail networks, and therefore make military transport across the continent more efficient. For example, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) highlights the technology as an improvement to military transport by rail.
However, Ukrainian rail expert Boris Ganaylyuk issues a warning related to ERTMS: Digital systems are vulnerable. In times of conflict, there will be electronic warfare. There may also be a lack of power supply – severely hindering rail traffic if electric and digitalised. Therefore, when deploying ERTMS, it is necessary to review security protocols and technological solutions to minimise the impact of external interference.
“Even in critical parts of the system, the possibility of manual control should also be left. For example, ‘manually’ switching switches”, Ganaylyuk explains. In other words, don’t become too reliant on digital technologies only – it could cost you.
Weights and dimensions in rail
The expert’s concerns go beyond only the digital world. For example, some in Europe want 740-metre trains, including for the military. Such longer trains would make it possible to transport more things per train, albeit at the cost of speed. Here too, Ganaylyuk is wary of its use for military purposes, especially in times of conflict. “Long and heavy trains are less maneuverable and are a good target. In addition, it is more difficult to carry out rescue and recovery operations”, the expert says. The speed of the train, maneuverability, is more important than its length.
The topic of heavy trains brings Ganaylyuk to address rail infrastructure upgrades, for example, to handle 25 tonnes per axle. Now, 22.5 tonnes is the Western European standard. In Eastern Europe, 20 tonnes is more common. An upgrade to 25 tonnes per axle could allow for heavier goods on the rails.
But Ganaylyuk does the math: 25 tonnes per axle would enable a maximum of 100 tonnes with four axles. That is up from the current 80 tonnes maximum in Eastern Europe. But that offers no benefit if a heavy tank weighs 70 tonnes, the Ukrainian expert says. For that reason, there may be little use in upgrading infrastructure for higher weights.
Image: Shutterstock. © xlaura
Upgrading the maximum allowed weight per axle is costly and “cannot be an independent goal of infrastructure reconstruction.” Rather, “we should learn to produce lighter rolling stock – instead of rebuilding the infrastructure, it is more reasonable to reduce the own weight of wagons or military equipment”, explains Ganaylyuk. That is a more effective way to boost your weight carrying capacity.
Infrastructure improvements
Moreover, there are many ideas on how to improve Europe’s rail infrastructure. Those include completing the TEN-T network, the standard-gauge railway Rail Baltica (also part of TEN-T), and building and modernising ports and terminals. Here too, Ganaylyuk has some side notes to share.
“A division of the track network into main and ‘secondary’ lines is very harmful for military mobility”, the Ukrainian expert comments on the TEN-T network as an investment for military mobility. “[In conflict], it is impossible to predict where a train will need to stop. The network must have stability and alternative routes available”. An example of bad rail policy is that some EU countries only really repair and maintain railways for which the EU gives money. The rest remains abandoned.
A division of the track network into main and ‘secondary’ lines is very harmful for military mobility
“Therefore, all initiatives to restore traffic on inactive lines, both for local passenger and freight traffic, should be supported. Regular use of these lines not only directly or indirectly increases the share of railways in transportation but also allows them to be maintained in working condition”, the Ukrainian rail expert argues.
Flexibility without technology
Similarly, Europe uses technological solutions to develop terminals and ports for intermodal transportation that are not effective enough for military purposes, according to Ganaylyuk. For example, the dimensions of sea containers and their permissible weight do not correspond to the permitted dimensions and weights for railways. Moreover, transshipment happens in terminals via cranes. But in emergency situations, it is necessary to be able to act regardless of the circumstances or existing infrastructure.
“Therefore, it is important to provide for the possibility of loading and unloading in field conditions, on unprepared sites or with minimal preparation and using crane-free technology”, says the rail expert. In other words, terminals and ports are good, but other technical solutions can provide an appropriate basic level of flexibility.
Ganaylyuk also believes that unifying railway gauges is too costly of an affair, at least for military purposes. Military mobility should not be seen as the primary goal of expanding the 1,435-millimetre network to countries with other gauges, for example, in the case of Rail Baltica. That is a multibillion-euro project that is set to take many more years before completion. “It would be better to focus on technologies for faster transfers between trains on different gauges”, believes Ganaylyuk.
The key to military mobility
“At the same time, the development of such pan-European routes has its own independent value.” For example, bypassing the Carpathians through the territory of western Ukraine will connect the railways of Poland and Romania with a 1435-millimetre gauge. What’s more, it will ensure “the unity of the 1435-millimetre network from the ports of the Baltic, the Black and the Mediterranean Seas, and in the future will allow connecting Istanbul with Tallinn.”
On the other hand, Ganaylyuk does see potential in Digital Automatic Coupling as a solution for military mobility. The technology could help reduce loading and unloading times and make rail freight faster. Overall, the conclusion is that Europe needs faster, smart and cost-effective intermodal transportation. “That is the key to military mobility”, says Ganaylyuk.
What is Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC)?
DAC is a new, under-development technology that automates the connection of freight wagons, aiming to make rail freight more efficient. It can improve braking and enable longer trains, on top of speeding up loading times. But the cost—possibly up to 30 billion euros for the civilian freight sector—makes full implementation unrealistic. Critical voices say that public funding is necessary, and that other upgrades like ERTMS may be more worthwhile.