On Thursday, 12 September, the 2nd meeting of SUSTANCE Interreg Central Europe project participants took place in Ljubljana. The SUSTANCE project aims to improve the connectivity of public passenger transport in peripheral and cross-border areas of Central Europe, where there is still a high dependency on private transport.

SŽ-Passenger Transport, together with its project partner HŽ-Passenger Transport, is testing a new cross-border railway service connecting Italy via Slovenia to Croatia. Within pilot activity no. 1, a direct train in the composition of the new Stadler multi-system electric multiple unit was introduced on a test basis on the route Villa Opicina – Divača – Rijeka and vice versa. The pilot train will run from 24 April to 30 September 2024, departing from Villa Opicina for Rijeka at 7:50 a.m. and returning at 6:25 p.m. The price of a one-way ticket for the Villa Opicina-Rijeka route is €8, while children aged 6 to 12 travel at half price, and children under 6 travel free of charge when accompanied by an adult. An international one-way bicycle ticket for those travelling to or from Croatia costs €5. More about the pilot activity can be found at: potniski.sz.si/en/international-travel/direct-connection-villa-opicina-i-divaca-rijeka-hr-sustance.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, ZRC SAZU, the Anton Melik Geographical Institute, Institute of Traffic and Transport Ljubljana, SŽ-Passenger Transport and Slovenian Railways. The results of the transnational analysis of the accessibility of public passenger transport, based on the methodology developed within the SUSTANCE project, were presented. The analysis compared the accessibility of public passenger transport in the SUSTANCE test areas, particularly in terms of connectivity and accessibility of passenger information. In addition, an assessment of the transferability of the methodology outside the project area and a plan for the implementation of the methodology in a web-based tool that will allow the use of the accessibility methodology by a wider professional public, i.e. decision-makers in the field of public passenger transport development, were also prepared.

The pilot activity has not yet been completed. However, partial results, from the start of the train until the end of August, show that 6,211 passengers travelled by the mentioned train, of which 366 were passengers with bicycles. During this period, passengers used the train to a slightly greater extent on the route from Rijeka to Villa Opicina than in the opposite direction. 52% of all passengers travelled from Rijeka to Villa Opicina, and 48% of all passengers travelled from Villa Opicina to Rijeka. When observed by days outside the holiday months, passengers used the train to a greater extent on weekends. While in the months of July and August, there is no difference in the number of passengers carried on weekdays and weekends.

The ecological aspect of train travel was also highlighted during the discussion, with a comparison of the gCO2e savings, which are lower when using the new Stadler electric multiple unit than when using a wagon train with an electric locomotive, and significantly lower compared to road transport on the same route. The saving when driving the Stadler electric multiple unit is 185 gCO2e, while travelling on a wagon train with a locomotive would save 342 gCO2e. The carbon footprint calculations follow a methodology verified by Bureu Veritas, while the car travel carbon footprint calculations follow parameters from the UK government website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gas-reporting-conversion-factors-2023.

Since this year, however, Slovenian Railways has ordered electricity for all electric trains from 100% renewable sources, which means 100% green energy and virtually zero CO2. This represents a significant additional reduction of the carbon footprint for the mentioned train and for Slovenian Railways’ rail transport in general.

Energy consumption and carbon footprint are very important indicators for Slovenian Railways in terms of costs and environmental protection. Rail transport is an extremely energy and environmentally efficient type of transport, which is why it is highly attractive and promoted as a sustainable mode of transport in the era of decarbonisation of transport in the world. Railways are currently the only industry in transport that can provide commercial carbon-free passenger transport. Rail transport is also statistically safer compared to road transport, and we believe that rail transport is our safe and environmentally friendly future. Further information on the SUSTANCE project is available at: www.interreg-central.eu/projects/sustance.