Under the Turkish presidency, the successful edition of the International Forum of Transport (ITF) held in Leipzig, Germany, from 26 to 29 May, gave this year the opportunity to 800 delegates from around the world, including 52 Transport Ministers (among them Wolfgang Tiefensee, Germany’s Minister of Transport and Binali Yildirim, Turkish Minister of Transport who open the Forum) and industry leaders to discuss the crucial role played by transport today and in the future, around the theme “Transport for a Global Economy: Challenges & Opportunities in the Downtown”. Antonio Tajani, the Vice President of the European Commission, attended also the Forum.
UIC and the European Rail Industry (UNIFE), convinced that the rail sector is in a unique position to provide a solution to the challenges of mobility and sustainability, were present at the exhibition.
Closing the Forum, the ITF Secretary General Jack Short said: “The Forum’s lively and fruitful discussions have exceeded our expectations. Despite the severe financial and economic crisis and the possibility that the impact of the downtown may not be transitory, the global transport community is confident that – based on consultation, cooperation and coordination – it will bring about change for the world’s transport of tomorrow. I believe that the Forum 2009 laid some decisive groundwork in shaping the world’s transport and its support in boosting the global economy for the years ahead.”
During the keynote speeches session, US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood underlined the role played by the railways in the US American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
“The Recovery Act also breaks new ground for America, in the area of high-speed and passenger rail. President Obama has committed more than 8 billion dollars to new and revitalized passenger rail corridors across the country. This is by far the largest single federal investment in passenger rail in our nation’s history. This is a down payment on a new effort by the United States to make passenger rail a vital link in our public transportation network. It will bring cities closer together, relieve congestion on our highways, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. After riding the TGV earlier this week from Paris to Strasbourg, I am more convinced than ever that the U.S. must look to passenger rail as a way to foster more convenient and efficient intermodal connections. I was very impressed by the inter-modal links on the Strasbourg end of the TGV. It’s an excellent model for the United States to consider, as we pursue our own long-term strategies and investments in public transportation. Fortunately, it appears that many Americans are ready to leave their cars at home and take more public transportation – including passenger rail. Looking ahead, we recognize that the U.S. must do even more to develop a diverse, environmentally sustainable, multi-modal transportation network to keep our economy moving and make our communities more livable. This is a very high priority for the Obama Administration. The President recently announced plans to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and raise fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light duty trucks, beginning in model year 2012. This is a serious push to make transportation much cleaner and greener in the United States. In the freight rail industry, we are in the process of developing new national freight transportation corridors that will help us make better use of trucks, barges, and rails across North America. This integrated approach will reduce congestion on our crowded freight railways, take more trucks off our highways, and make better use of under-used coastal waterways that have a low environmental impact.”
Next year the Forum will focus on “Transport & Innovation” and will be held from 25-28 May 2010 in Leipzig under the Presidency of Canada.
