Frédéric Dobruszkes

Competition, Integration, Substitution: Myths and Realities Concerning the Relationship between High-Speed Rail and Air Transport in Europe

Purpose – This chapter provides a critical discussion of air to rail mode substitution. Environmental impacts, intermodal competition and integration are considered, examining advantages and disadvantages as well as opportunities and constraints.Originality – Both operation and life-cycle analysis perspectives show that high-speed rail (HSR) is much ‘greener’ than air transport (per seat-km or per passenger-km) provided that the former achieves high load factors and the latter lower load factors and that freed runway capacity is not reused. HSR travel time is its main competitive advantage against air transport, and a 600-km flight is arguably the current limit for robust intermodal effects.Findings – The potential for air–HSR integration at the airport relies on various service, business and technical constraints. Even when it is successful, its environmental benefit appears to be marginal, if not negative, if airport capacity is reused for longer flights. In the current context, such integration appears more like a business opportunity for airlines, airports and train operators rather than a sustainable option. Yet the environmental benefit of integration may be larger within potential integrated transport policies.

Uncovering the Real Potential for Air–Rail Substitution: An Exploratory Analysis

While air to rail substitution is much discussed, in the literature and in the policy debate, there has still been no attempt to quantify the potential for such mode substitution in order to examine the extent to which High Speed Train (HST) might address the main problems faced by the air transport industry: the capacity shortage on the one hand and the environmental problem on the other. This chapter aims to fill this gap and to examine the worldwide potential for mode substitution based on the current air transport network and the supply of air transport services. The potential for reduction in CO2 emissions as a result of mode substitution is also examined.

Reflexions sur l'usage des modeles dans les etudes de transport et les sciences sociales

The mathematical modelling of human behaviours is extremely common in both theoretical and applied transport studies. This paper begins with an attempt to demonstrate the limits which apply to the reconstruction of a human reality (in this case an origin-destination matrix) by means of a straightforward and commonly used model, the gravity model. These limits stem from the fact that economic, social and political factors and historical aspects are ignored. The reasons for the prevalence of models in transport studies are then discussed as are the consequences of this prevalence: perpetuation of a view of the operation of society which is far from being without political implications, the surrender of the political community to experts, pseudo-scientific justifications for projects for which politicians do not wish to take responsibility.

L’analyse du lien entre grande vitesse ferroviaire et territoires: un chantier scientifique encore ouvert

Le XLIXe colloque de l’ASRDLF, qui s’est deroule a Belfort du 9 au 11 juillet 2012, a donne lieu a une session speciale sur le theme « Grande vitesse ferroviaire et developpement regional et urbain » avec deux axes consacres respectivement a la mise en perspective historique des interactions entre infrastructures de transport et dynamiques territoriales et a la question des liens croises entre TGV, tourismes et territoires. C’est a partir d’une selection des communications qui ont ete presentees que ce numero special est construit.