The railway as the backbone of the sustainable transport of people and cargo in the future

Background

With seven years to go until 2030, the year in which the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) culminate, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have faced a health, economic, social and environmental situation complicated. The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine reversed some of the advances in infrastructure, transport and logistics, achieved before 2020. In this context, the transition towards a Sustainable and efficient transport to advance towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and in accordance with the commitments assumed after the signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change is, today more than ever, a priority for the countries of the region.

It should be noted that one of the main characteristics of the transport infrastructure in the region is its high concentration in the road mode, which has been suboptimal, promoting high levels of congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. The evidence points to transportation as the sector that causes the highest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Latin America and the Caribbean. To reduce this concentration, it is necessary to expand transport infrastructure, that is, to move towards other more efficient and sustainable modes of transport, which include the use of new technologies that have a lower impact on the environment. In this context, the railway is seen as a good alternative, in a new modality, to face the challenges of climate change.

The vision of the UIC for 2030 describes a future in the process of decarbonizing transport through a sustainable mobility system that promotes the generation of multiple benefits for society. The UIC vision presents a panorama at the end of this decade in which, with the right measures and investments, there will have been a significant increase in the modal share of rail and public transport, in which rail could play a key role in the sustainable mobility system in the region.

To face the crises, many of the region’s governments currently have a smaller fiscal space to invest in other modes of transport, which makes it difficult to comply with the aforementioned agreements. For this reason, it will be necessary to advance creative and efficient mechanisms and strategies to promote the participation of other actors that contribute to the creation of new transport infrastructures and achieve the change of modality and the transition towards a necessary sustainable and efficient transport.

Event objective:

ECLAC and the International Union of Railways (UIC, for its acronym in French) join efforts to promote dialogue between the different actors involved to discuss the importance of a multimodal approach to transport systems, including the role of railways as a solution low carbon for the transport of people and goods.

Governments, international organizations, the financial and private sectors, as well as transport experts, will address the following topics:

✔ Implement policies to move towards a modal shift in Latin America and the Caribbean and analysis of the investment gap and the necessary financing for its implementation.

✔ The role and advantages of the railway. What is its potential and where is it headed in Latin America?

✔ The benefits that rail can offer and the opportunities for rail brokers

✔ How to advance in multimodality and intermodality