report

Findings Report
March 2014
Action WP2A8:
‘Feasibility Assessment of Extending RegioTram to Employment
Centers in Kassel and the Nordhessen Region’
Sustainable transport for
North-West Europe’s periphery
Sintropher is a ive-year €23m
transnational cooperation project
with the aim of enhancing local and
regional transport provision to, from
and withing ive peripheral regions in
North-West Europe.
INTERREG IVB
INTERREG IVB North-West Europe is a inancial instrument
of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy. It funds projects
which support transnational cooperation.
Introduction
This Report summarizes the KVG activities in the Frame of WP2A8. During the
project time, the conceptual formulation has been adapted to actual developments
and with special focus on the competitive position of public transport versus
motorised individual transport.
Technical feasibility-studies have been connected to economic considerations to
achieve an overall picture of the feasibility and economic worthwhileness of
RegioTram extensions to local centres of labour and business.
Concurrently the definition of “local centres of labour and business” has been
extended on big employment centres in the periphery of the city of Kassel.
The entering questions due to the project application were:
•
“How can linking of centres of labour be organised?”
•
“Can the economic efficiency of the RegioTram be increased?”
4
•
“What effects on the attractiveness of Kassel may arise and what role may the
hubs Kassel-Wilhemshöhe and Kassel Hauptbahnhof play in this process?”
These three key questions have been analysed at four sites:
•
Kassel university central site
•
Headquarter of SMA
•
Volkswagen plant at Baunatal
•
Braun Melsungen
As the planned sites “Langes Feld Kassel“ and “Wolfhagen science park” currently
are far from realization, they have not been considered in the frame of this study.
5
Part 1
The sites
One site is located in Kassel city centre; two sites are located in peripheral industrial
areas of Kassel respective the neighboring municipalities. One site is located at
Melsungen, about 20 km south of Kassel.
6
Site 1: Kassel university central site
Kassel University central site is located at “Holländischer Platz” at Kassel City.
During the period of data collection the site was not directly linked to RegioTram and
connected to the Kassel Tramway-system by the lines 1 and 5.
For the analysis of demand and potentials a number of about 22.000 students and
about 1.500 employees have to be taken into account.
Presently more than 75 % of the students and about 40 % of the employees use
public transport for their way to work.
7
Site 2: SMA Headquarters at Kassel / Niestetal
SMA Headquarters is located at the eastern limit of Kassel, the main part of the plant
belonging to the municipality of Niestetal which is important regarding the political
circumstances of the discussion.
At the site about 4.000 employees have to be taken into account.
About 400 of them own a so called “JobTicket”, an annual ticket at a lower price.
The car park offers about 2.500 places.
2.200 employees work in shifts. As the map shows, there is no direct linkage to any
rail bound system.
8
Site 3: Volkswagen plant Kassel / Baunatal
The VW plant is situated on the area of the municipality of Baunatal, in the southwest
of Kassel.
It comprises a large fabrication area and the so called “Orignalteile Center” OTC
(Central store for the distribution of original parts for Europe).
Overall more than 13.000 employees have to be taken into account as potential
customers for public transport.
By the time of the analysis, less than 1 % of the employees used public transport.
9
Site 4: Braun Melsungen
The site of Braun Melsungen currently is not connected directly to the RT-network.
It has about 4.500 employees. At the time of the analysis about 2,5 % of the staff
used public transport.
10
Part 2
Approach
In this chapter a methodical overview is given. The subchapters show details of the
process by means of representative examples so that not every detail has to be laid
out for every site.
1. In a first step the potential demand has been examined quantitatively.
Companies have been asked to deliver statistics about the places of
residence of their employees. Data had to be anonymized and have been
transferred into excel files and maps in order to identify the relevant routes
and travel chains. As a first approximation to the choice of travel mode, the
job ticket rates for the sites have been ascertained and connected to places of
residence. To gain further information about the competiveness of public
transport the overall travel time in public transport was compared to the
overall travel time using a car. Timetables were analysed with special focus
on availability at relevant times.
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2. In a second step expert Interviews have been made by external consultants to
tackle qualitative issues and soft factors that make public transport attractive
for the companies and the commuters.
3. In a third step recquirement profiles for the linking have been formulated.
4. In a fourth step potential and essential measures have been specified,
technical feasibility has been analyzed and costs have been put into relation
to potential benefits.
Within the responsibility of KVG, similar analyses have been made for the sites 1, 2
and 3. Site 4 is located outside the KVG area of responsibility. The feasibility study
connected to site 4 is available on the SINTROPHER website.
Sources of traffic (referring to step 1)
Step 1 is illustrated by the example of the Volkswagen plant at Baunatal
The first problem to solve is the protection of data privacy. Under strict observation of
the legal frame the places of residence of the employees were identified and
displayed in a map.
The quantitative Analysis shows that about 8.500 Volkswagen employees live in a
municipality with at least one RegioTram or Tramway station. Within the
municipalities no further Information about the accessibility of the stations in the
living quarters is available.
The most significant potentials are located in Kassel. Therefore the allocation of the
Kassel residents was narrowed down to postal codes.
As a result of this, travel chains and important points for linking lines could be
pointed out and the potential demand in certain corridors could be identified.
The outcomes were presented to the stakeholders and used as one important base
for the expert interviews.
To gain further information as a basis for substantial estimation of potential demand
created by any kind of network extensions a questioning of the employees is
considered very useful.
12
13
The following maps show a comparison between the overall travel times in public
transport and motorised individual traffic:
The overall travel time in motorised individual traffic has been divided by the overall
travel time in public transport. A ratio of less than 1 favours public transport, a ratio of
between 1 and 2 is acceptable for commuters on short to middle distances (under 45
minutes), a ratio of over 2 favours motorised individual transport.
Especially the travel times out of the municipalities in the middle distances are very
unfavourable for public transport.
In the Kassel Tramway network there are only few links that are attractive for
commuters.
14
Timetable analysis has shown two more important issues:
For employees working in shifts, adequate connections are not available for all the
time corridors in which they are required.
Employees starting to work between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and shift workers starting or
ending their shift between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. will have to cope with overcrowded
vehicles because of school-traffic, respectively will providers have to offer additional
capacities to manage additional demand.
Regarding the fact that about 2.000 employees along the catchment areas of RT
branches RT 5 and RT 9 and about 1.300 employees along the catchment areas of
Kassel Tramway lines 4 and 5 are endued with attractive connections to some
linkage points in the circumference of the Volkswagen plant, the potential demand to
be created by an improvement of the connection to the RT and Tramway system
ammounts to no more than 400 additional customers.
This potential cannot be won by network-extension alone. Any extension has to be
supported by a package of additional measures.
15
Flashlight on the analysis of Site 1
In short, the analysis has shown that the employment site of Kassel University is well
embedded in the RT and Tram network. The main issues are quality and capacity
during the rush hours.
Flashlight on the analysis of Site 2
The following map shows that about 1.350 employees of SMA live within the
catchment area of the Tramway Lines 4 and 8. Another 400 live in the Municipalities
of Niestetal and Staufenberg.
More than 2.000 employees of SMA have direct access in public transport to a hub
within the limits of Kassel so that they could (theoretically) reach SMA headquarters
with only one transfer.
The potential demand to be created by improving the connections to SMAheadquarters amounts to 200.
16
Expert interviews (referring to step 2)
In a second step, executives of companies in Kassel including those at the sites 1 –
3 have been interviewed. One important premise was that not objective facts should
be reflected but that subjective impressions and recommendations should be given.
Another important premise to understand the outcomes is that the term “expert” in
this case is somewhat misleading: None of the interviewed uses public transport or
knows anything about it. But as stated the subjective assessments of the “decisionmakers” in this case were of interest:
•
A companies’ “philosophy” strongly influences the perception (and knowledge)
of public transport. Most companies have to be “forced” into contact with
public transport. The main reasons are problems with parking space and
reachability for employees with low wages who cannot afford cars. SMA
represents an exception because they promote their “green image” very
dedicatedly.
•
In all cases stops and stations in the surroundings of their plant is what
officials perceive in the first place.
•
Officials hear about quality of public transport by those with whom they talk
and who shout loudest. Normally the only personal link to public transport is
the high speed train, train station of course reached by car.
General conclusions on the perception of public transport by decision makers can be
drawn as follows:
•
Travel times in public transport are too long
•
Often no proper connections are offered when needed (for example for
employees working in shifts)
•
Use of public transport is too complicated; Network is not transparent for
newcomers
•
Accessibility of stops and stations often is seen as inadequate
•
State of repair of stops and stations often is seen critical
•
Ticket range is not tailored to suite the market needs
•
Information on public transport in general and concerning timetables, linkages
and advantages in special is not adequate.
17
•
The special requirement of RegioTram extensions or extensions of the
Tramway network is only an issue at all to decision makers if it really helps to
solve the problem. Here, too, SMA represents an exception: Due to their
image SMA wants a Tramway extension, even if it is very doubtful that this will
be of any use …
One key to an increase of demand at SMA and Volkswagen is “internal accessibility”.
The slide above, taken out of a presentation held at a SINTROPHER meeting shows
the vastness of the Volkswagen area; the slide beneath shows the disperse structure
of the SMA plant.
In both cases, improvement in neither of the stated issues cannot be achieved by the
extension of railbound services alone.
18
The original report of Eidman & Killian Consultants is available on the SINTROPHER
homepage.
Requirement profiles (referring to step 3)
To be successful on the market, you have to put the real needs of your potential
customers into the centre of your thinking without neglecting how public transport is
perceived by seniors and executives.
The linking of centres of labour to the RegioTram network must be seen as part of an
overall strategy. The aim of all efforts has to be to strengthen the market position of
RegioTram within the frame of limited resources. One of the key questions therefore
is “what investment is most suitable for that special purpose”? Having to ponder
different actions, it may be a result that investments necessary to improve the linking
of employment centres are less cost effective than other measures that may be
taken to strengthen the system.
The following sub chapters summarize the outcomes of the considerations for the
sites that are subjects of this report.
19
Site 1: Kassel university central site
•
Capacity problems on the local Tramway lines in the rush hours but also
during day time have to be solved by the help of RegioTram and double
tractions of Tramway vehicles.
•
Simultaneously direct (RegioTram) links to important places of residence of
students in the rural catchment area have to be built up. The following map
shows the dissemination.
Site 2: SMA Headquarters Kassel / Niestetal
•
Direct link to the ICE hub Kassel Wilhemshöhe is named important by
“experts”.
•
Facilities at the site are in dispersing arrangement, in consequence the “inner
accessibility” has to be improved.
•
Overall travel times should be reduced.
•
Connections at important hubs should be improved.
20
Site 3: Volkswagen plant Kassel / Baunatal
•
Internal accessibility has to be improved, see map beneath.
•
Overall travel times should be reduced.
•
Connections at important hubs should be improved.
•
Quality of stations and stops has to be improved; accessibility of the stations
and stops has to be improved as well.
21
Measures and evaluation / Feasibility studies (referring to step 4)
Within the SINTROPHER project phase considerable efforts have been made to
show possibilities and evaluate them. Based on the requirement profiles technical
options have been drafted and their feasibility has been analysed.
It can be stated that all options for RegioTram or Tramway extensions analysed in
the studies are feasible. Feasibility not necessarily means economic reasonability.
The details for sites 1, 2 and 3 are summarised in the following chapters.
Site 1: Kassel university central site
In order to solve the capacity problems caused by more than 5.000 pupils and
estimated 22.000 students and university employees the feasibility of extending the
RegioTram to the university (from the central hub “Am Stern” to the terminal stop
“Holländische Straße”) has been examined and evaluated.
As a second module the prolongation of the existing Tramway platforms between
“Am Stern” and “Holländische Straße”, enabling KVG to use double tractions instead
of additional single tractions, has been examined.
The key issue connected with the RegioTram extension was the fact that the
RegioTram vehicles are 25 cm broader than “ordinary” tram vehicles. This requires
22
adjustments of the street profile so that 4 lanes of traffic and a double track lineage
suitable for RegioTram vehicles have enough space. For that purpose, parking
space and width of pavements have to be reduced and several trees have to be cut
and new ones replanted elsewhere.
•
The cost for the adjustment of the street profile amounts to 1.8 Million €.
•
The prolongation of the Tramway platforms costs another 0.6 Million €.
•
The costs for the adjustment of signalisation and traffic light regulation are not
considered because they have to be regarded in the context of the entire
Kassel Tramway network.
•
The replacement of additional single tractions by double tractions saves about
0.4 Million € operating costs per year, the extension of RegioTram is possible
without additional operating costs.
The cost benefit analysis shows that the investment amortises within 6 years.
Regarding a time space of 12 years 2.4 Million € can be saved.
Site 2: SMA Headquarters Kassel / Niestetal
Due to the assessment of SMA seniors that a Tramway extension to SMA is
important for a sustainable traffic concept feasibility studies for three variants of
Tramway extensions have been made.
The result is that, regarding a 12 years period the investment and maintenance will
cost from 12 Million € to 15 Million €.
Investment
(€)
Maintenance
(€/year)
Planning / Design
(€)
Total 12 years
(€)
Variant 1
9.149.400
186.500
915.000
12.302.400
Variant 2
10.507.800
180.100
1.051.000
13.720.000
Variant 3
11.481.800
204.500
1.115.000
15.050.800
Operating costs cannot be calculated as an operating concept depends on the
integration of an optional line in the network. Theoretically a line connecting Kassel
city centre and SMA headquarters could be served by RegioTram lines. Only in this
case operating costs would not increase.
23
As the RegioTram vehicles seem to be more effectively used for helping to solve
capacity problems at Kassel University this alternative at this stage has to be
excluded.
Any additional line at one side of the network needs an equivalent on the opposite.
Due to the fact that no options at the opposite side of the network exist, the only
estimation that can be made is that four additional vehicles would be needed at least
and that the operating cost would not amount to less than 0.8 Million € per year.
Calculated on 12 years this would mean an annual deficit of about 2 Million €.
As stated in chapter 4.1.2 the realistic estimation of the potential increase of demand
would result in the selling of 200 additional “JobTickets” at an average price of 1.000
€. The cost benefit analysis in this case shows that there is no way of economically
justifying the annual deficit connected to a Tramway extension to SMA headquarters.
The original feasibility study by KVC consultants is available on the SINTROPHER
website.
In the light of SMA’s efforts to save money for parking space and to promote
sustainable mobility a task force, consisting of KVG, NVV, SMA and the municipality
of Niestetal has been established.
The following measures have been developed:
•
Improving the linkage of SMA headquarters and other SMA sites by a bus
connected to the Tramway Lines 4 and 8 at “Platz der Deutschen Einheit” and
the regional train network at Kassel Hauptbahnhof
•
Constitution of a bus line directly connecting SMA headquarters to Kassel
Wilhelmshöhe ICE hub
•
Intensification of mobility management efforts
•
Test of a “JobTicket” for the winter-half-year.
Site 3: Volkswagen plant Kassel / Baunatal
The key issue regarding the Volkswagen plant Kassel Baunatal is internal
accessibility. As is to be seen in the image beneath the existing Tramway stations
are situated unfavourably because of the long distance passengers of public
transport hav to cover until they reach the main gate (VW-Werk Haupttor).
24
Even from the main gate pedestrians may have to walk for more than 15 minutes to
get to their actual work places.
The red line shows the layouts that have been evaluated by a feasibility study by
KVC consultants (available on SINTROPHER website).
The aim is to save reduce travel time by offering direct access to the main gate.
The feasibility study states that the investment including maintenance and planning
calculated on 12 years amounts to about 5 Million €.
Operating costs due to the feasibility study amount to about 100.000 €.
The realistic estimation of the potential increase of demand connected to the
measure would result in the selling of 400 additional “JobTickets” at an average price
of 1.000 €. The cost benefit analysis in this case, too, shows that there is no way of
economically justifying the annual deficit connected to a Tramway extension to
Volkswagen plant Kassel / Baunatal.
25
Even if no Tramway extension can be implemented 400 new customers can be won
by a bundle of alternative measures.
For that purpose a task force of Volkswagen and KVG has been established.
The following measures are in discussion:
•
Survey on mobility needs of Volkswagen employees as a basis for further
considerations
•
Bus line connecting the RegioTram hub Guntershausen to the Tramway hub
Mattenberg providing direct links to the places of work while crossing the plant
area
•
Infrastructural measures to reduce the footway from “VW-Werk” Tramway
station to the plant area
•
Establishment of mobility management including ride sharing and car pooling
•
Improving accessibility by bicycle
•
Establishment of new marketing strategies
26
Part 3
Conclusions
This report shows that simply building tracks to a site does not necessarily lead to an
increase of demand and that the total of about 600 new customers, meaning about
360.000 additional rides at certain stages of discussion is theoretical …
Potential demand resulting from linking big employment centres often is
overestimated because the travel chains are not correctly analysed.
An important outcome of SINTROPHER is the development of a toolset that allows
nearly exact evaluation of factual potential demand (see part 2).
As travel time is one important fact, the building up of fast and reliable linking is one
key issue.
These links in the first place have to cover the corridors with the highest potential
demands.
27
The answers to the entering questions
•
“How can linking of centres of labour be organised?”
•
“Can the economic efficiency of the RegioTram be increased?”
•
“What effects on the attractiveness of Kassel may arise and what role may the
hubs Kassel-Wilhemshöhe and Kassel Hauptbahnhof play in this process?”
may be:
Linking of centres of labour can be organised as a mix of railbound services
providing fast rides to hubs and bus services providing attractive connections and
coverage of whole areas that would not be possible by rail.
Yes, it can be increased if investments are seriously evaluated and cost effective
options are considered. In this respect RegioTram is to be seen as only one part of
an entire system of public transport. The examples of the University of Kassel and
SMA show that even the economic efficiency of RegioTram seen as a separate part
of the system can be increased if linking can be achieved by operating the lines
without the need to use additional vehicles and drivers. As it can be seen in this
report, that option can only be implemented once. Any other extensions will be cost
relevant on the operating side.
The effects on the attractiveness of Kassel may be positive because investors as
well as employees would profit by the improvements. The role of the two above
mentioned hubs should not be overestimated. Potential demand emanates from local
traffic in the first place. Anyway, the bus line linking SMA headquarters starts at
Kassel Hauptbahnhof and helps to offer fast connections for commuters using
regional trains or RegioTram services to cover the distance between their allocation
and Kassel Hauptbahnhof.
The issue in several respects is not a quantitative one. It is about the quality that
employees, visitors and business partners coming in for meetings know that they
may reach their goal by public transport comfortably, fast and reliably.
28
Part 4
Next Steps
The measures connected to sites 1 and 2 have been set in action in 2013.
Evaluation within the frame of SINTROPHER is not possible due to the ending of the
project time in spring 2014.
The task force connected to site 3 is working. Prediction of results at this point does
not seem legitimate.
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Part 5
Further Information
Detailed findings - Main Report
This is available from online at www.sintropher.eu/reports
Contact details - Person
Markus Kollig
Kasseler Verkehrsgesellschaft
Königsttor 3-13
34117
Kassel
Germany
+0049 (0) 561 30895130
[email protected]
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Part 6
What is Sintropher?
Sintropher is a transnational cooperation project bringing together five regions in
North-West Europe. The project is due to last five years, with 14 partner agencies in
five EU Member States. With a budget of €23m, it is part-financed by the EU
INTERREG IVB programme, and involves a series of 36 feasibility evaluations, pilot
investment and demonstration projects, as well as comparative analysis of EU best
practice. The Lead Partner is University College London.
All our work is motivated by one overarching aim: to develop sustainable, costeffective solutions to improve accessibility to, from and within peripheral regions in
North-West Europe. As part of this, we have four specific objectives:
•
Promote best possible cost-effective technology-based solutions
•
Assess the appraisal procedure for regional tram systems and improve the
business case
31
•
development process
•
Achieve high-quality, seamless interchange between regional tram systems
and regional rail
•
and air hubs
•
Promote and market the benefits of regional tram-based systems to users and
stakeholders
We have a particular focus on tram-train systems which allow local trams to run on to
national rail networks, pioneered in Karlsruhe and developed in Kassel (Germany),
which allow urban tram systems to extend over national rail tracks to serve extensive
city regions. Additionally we are looking at high-quality interchanges at key rail or air
hubs.
In all, project partners from five demonstration regions in five EU Member States are
working together: Valenciennes (France); the Fylde Coast (UK); West Flanders
(Belgium); North Hesse (Germany); and Nijmegen-Kleve (The Netherlands).
Participants include public transport operators, local authorities, regional
management bodies and universities.
Each region will implement a programme of technical and economic feasibility
evaluations for new systems, pilot investment projects, and demonstration projects,
of which the present findings report is one such document. This will be
complemented by a set of comparative analyses of EU best practice.
Contact details – Sintropher
Charles King
Sintropher Communications Manager
University College London
Central House
14 Upper Woburn Place
London WC1H 0NN
United Kingdom
[email protected]
www.sintropher.eu
32
Partners
Sintropher is coordinated by
In partnership with
Co-funded by the INTERREG IVB programme for North-West Europe
Sintropher
University College London
14 Upper Woburn Place
London WC1H 0NN
United Kingdom
www.sintropher.eu