Railway transportation experiences of the member countries of European Union and railway transportation in Turkey: A research companing the practicis and formulating new propasals in terms of adjustment of railway transportation practicis

ABSTRACT AND KEY WORDS European Union (EU) is an supranational establishment of 15 countries which aim at social-economical development and peace. The European Union consist of varios communities. European Coal and Steel Community is the first community established under the Paris Agreement in 1951. European Atomic Energy Community and European Economic Community established according to the Treaty of Roma of 1957 later joined to this community. The first step to a union without bondries was taken with the Single European Act signed in the year 1986. And then an agreement involving the economic and monetary union among the member countries was signed in Maastricht in 1992. EU is governed by several bodies. The Parliament of Europe, which consist of the elected members, the Council of Europe, which consist of the representatives, EU Commission, which maintains the regulations relating is the statutes, Court of Justice, which is responsible for judicial affairs, the Exchequer and Audit Department which conducts the financial supervision are the most important bodies. The existing transportation networks in the member countries consist of the fallowing five groups: The road transportation network, sea and inland water tranportations network, air transportations network, pipeline transportations network and railway transportation network. Today, EU management has already taken into account "external cost" in selecting these networks. CO2 emmited from automobiles comes first among the factors which lead to global heating and concequently to climate changes in the world. In addition since vehicles possess such unwanted properties as unsafety, noise, jamming and petrol consumption, the external costs are further increased. Whereas, the external costs of trains are considerably law since they are run with electical energy.,_,'.T.«n'i'.».» *, / « /V''"--, \ İ » ı ti. \.-; ~«...ft, \'r \ % *: 3r \ ^..".- ' '« >.. ~i" -.,.'.? * '.,'-/.It is generally accepted that the begining of the railways goes back to the XIX Century. The industrial revolution which was' realized in the XVIII th Century had undoubtedly great effect on the emergence of the railway transportation. In addition, Development agriculture and increase in the level of urbanization have also increased the importance of railways. The projects which are directed to the realization of transportation corridors such as Trans-Europe, Pan-Europe and Europe-Asia have been put into practice by the EU as a result of the economic, cultural and social requirements after the Maastricht Agreement has taken into efect. The majority of these projects is to be completed in 2010 and the remaining between the years 2015 and 2020 at the latest. The majority of these projects are related to the " High Speed Trains". High Speed Trains which are able to travel at a commercial speed of 300 km per hour. These trains at same time use the latest technologies. EU Management, in order to reconstruct the railway enterprisements, has issued the directive 91/440/CEE involving the improvement of railways within the Community, the directive 95/1 8/CE which stipulates the requirements for giving licence to the railway enterprisements and the directive 95/19/CE involving the formation of railway infrastructure capacity and infrastructure payments. Turkish Republic Stale Railway Enterprisement in Turkey, which is geographically located between Europe and Asia Continents, is continuing its transportation function on the railways line of 8607 kilometres. In the 97 percent of the main railway lines, the single line tranportation is being made. The proportion of electricial lines in the total railway lines is 20 percent and the proportion of signalized lines 23 percent. The railway transportation bussiness has today serious problems and the share of railway investments in the total investments is quite low in Turkey. Therefore passenger and load tarnsportation have been directed to the one on the road network.An initiative that will enable the Turkish railway system to be reconstructed will make great contribution to the development of the contry, as well. Therefore, the present transportation policies being applied in Turkey which are expensive, unreliable and which permit environmental pollution need to be changed immediately. Furthermore, the improvement of the railways, which are considered the main part of "the Integrated Transportation" will also ensure the economic, social and cultural development of the country. Fallowing The developments in EU closely fallowed by Turkey and innovations that Turkey will have in the field of transportation will support Turkey's efforts to reconstruct the Turkish State Railway Enterprisement and to harmonize it with EU railway enterprisements as Turkey has been in a process of entering EU. KEY WORDS: European Union (EU), European Coal and Steel Community, European Atomic Energy Community, European Economic Community, Treaty of Rome (1957), Single European Act, Maastricht Agreement, Parliament of Europe, Council of Europe, EU Commission, Court of Justice, Exchequer and Audit Department, Transportation Networks (of Turkey, of EU and EU Countries), Road Transportation, Sea and Inland Water Transportation, Air Transportation, Pipeline Transportation, Railway Transportation, "High Speed Trains", Turkish Republic State Railway Enterprisement, "The Integrated Transportation" 10