The project ECORailS addresses the improvement of energy efficiency and the further reduction of the environmental impact of railways. The target groups are regional Public Transport Administrations (PTAs) which play a key role today when it comes to improving the quality and environmental performance of passenger rail transport. Tendering, other types of awarding procedures, and Public Service Contracts (PSC) are good instruments for enhancing the environmental and energy performance of rail services. ECORailS will provide Guidelines for the PTAs in order to successfully include environmental criteria in their awarding procedures. The ECORailS project aims to reduce the specific energy consumption of European regional passenger rail transport by 15 % by 2020.
The main purpose of the project is to jointly compile Guidelines which enable Public Transport Administrations (PTAs) to set realistic environmental criteria for contracting regional rail passenger services or procuring rolling stock, with the focus on energy efficiency. Decision makers within European regional PTAs will be supported by these Guidelines on every step on the way to include environmental criteria into their awarding procedures and service contracts. The Guidelines need to comply with European awarding legislation in order to maximise their impact on overall awarding practices.
The document shows how to create awarding text modules compliant with European law, usable by PTAs for regional awarding in all EU member states. The information provided by the Guidelines will apply to all established awarding procedures for services and rolling stock and include criteria for the evaluation of energy consumption.
ECORailS contributes to the implementation of European sustainability policies, norms and programmes, and the Lisbon Strategy in particular. The project facilitates the setting of energy efficiency standards for a growing European railway market.