According to a new study, high-speed rail links, such as the Eastern Railway, which is opposed by the people of Väijäämäki, would require a lot of public money and their construction would put a strain on the climate.
It is not possible to make high-speed rail links economically viable, says a new study. The report looks at the key figures for the Turku one-hour train, the Tampere Suomirada and the Eastern Railway via Porvoo to Kouvola. The report shows that the projects, which cost billions, would require a lot of public money. It would take up to hundreds of years to offset the emissions from rail projects.
The publication of the report was also followed with interest on Tuesday in Päijät-Häme.
– The report confirmed what we have been saying. Big rail projects are very expensive, they take a long time. The study raises the question of whether it is responsible and sensible to continue planning such expensive projects. We are now in a situation where there is an even more urgent and useful use for this money.
Päijät-Häme has always opposed the Itärata line in particular, because long-distance train traffic passing through Lahti would be transferred to the Helsinki–Porvoo–Kouvola route. As an alternative to the Itärada, Päijät-Häme still offers the improvement of the Savon and Karjalan railways and the Lahti–Heinola–Mikkeli railway connection.
– The shareholders of Suomirata company will probably have a discussion about this and think about what is a reasonable way to continue, Timonen estimates.
The mayor of Lahti, profiled as a pioneer in the fight against climate change, believes that air traffic emissions will decrease already in the next decade when planes become electrified. Regarding the climate effects of the construction of the runway, Timonen states that they must be examined.
– It is clear that it needs to be discussed and the effectiveness must be studied in more detail if Lentorata is separated from the rest of Suomirada. Such a special review should be done.
*Follow Päijät-Häme’s news* *Yle Areena**.*