Beyond Start and End Points: Accessibility of Railway Stations on a Multi-Spatial Scale

Abstract

This paper presents results and policy implications from RAISE-IT, an EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funded project. It examines the integration of long-distance rail with local and regional transport networks at key urban nodes along the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, one of the nine Trans-European Core Network Corridors (CNCs). It is crucial to foster seamless and suitable passenger transport solutions to achieve emissions goals and support the decarbonization process. Consequently, the whole travel chain needs to be considered and good interconnections with other transport modes are needed. For this reason, RAISE-IT explored multi-spatial scale accessibility. It considered three spatial scales (local, regional, and corridor-wide) and looked into multiple travel distances and needs along the corridor for accessing and minimizing the gap between highly and less accessible railway stations with reference to multi-scale travel patterns. This approach revealed overlapping issues between cross-regional and local decision makers and facilitated opportunities to discuss challenges and areas for improvement. The results formed the basis for guidelines on how to improve the accessibility of urban nodes and the quality of services and connections provided at railway stations. This paper discusses potential transferability aspects and recommendations for policy implications from RAISE-IT for railway stations and urban nodes in other CNCs.