{"id":138639,"date":"2024-10-10T20:30:20","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T10:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=56965"},"modified":"2024-10-10T20:30:20","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T10:30:20","slug":"lets-go-for-dac-but-not-now-as-costs-for-rail-freight-mount","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=138639","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Let\u2019s go for DAC, but not now\u2019 as costs for rail freight mount"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pushing ahead with the implementation of Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) would be like \u201cshooting ourselves in the foot\u201d, warn Czech and Slovak rail associations \u017dESNAD and Arosrail. Supposedly, the current implementation costs of the technology are too high when the sector is already faced with shrinking market shares, infrastructure expenditures, growing track access charges and ERTMS implementation.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Whereas DAC represents a step ahead in the field of safety, efficiency, data exchange and interoperability, the two rail associations warn against hasty and arbitrary decisions. Those could hinder the much-desired modal shift by undermining the competitiveness of rail freight by increasing the sector\u2019s expenditures even further.<\/p>\n

\u201cImplementing DAC requires a significant upfront in infrastructure, equipment and technology\u201d, \u017dESNAD and Arosrail write. \u201cAs railway companies face decreasing market share and profitability, the initial cost poses a barrier to adoption and will only be accepted if fairly distributed and clear economic benefits are demonstrated. DAC will undoubtedly increase the rolling stock cost and without significant funding from EU and in particular Member State level, EU-wide DAC uptake remains highly questionable\u201d, they conclude.<\/p>\n

ERFA: ERTMS should be priority instead<\/h2>\n

Answering questions to RailFreight.com, the European Rail Freight Association expresses similar views. Conor Feighan, its secretary-general, says that the financial priority should now be on implementing ERTMS. Other innovations, such as Automatic Train Operation and DAC, are dependent on the implementation of ERTMS, which should subsequently get priority.<\/p>\n

The association also communicates to policy makers that their focus should be on expanding the implementation of ERTMS, rather than getting distracted by other projects, Feighan explains.<\/p>\n