5000 kilometers of railway not being exploited, a huge potential for new projects!
Tourist railways:
- Are most often established in rural areas contributing to their activity and development.
- Preserve and accentuate a huge heritage
- Efficiently participate to the preservation of fragile environments
- Are able to create new jobs, most notably for unskilled workers.
An original economic model
The operators manage to balance their profit and loss statement, without the investment amortization financed by the local authorities.
Infrastructure and building investments are generally financed by local authorities in return of:
- Important and quantifiable economic fallouts
- Possible payments of rent
Investments on ‘rolling stock’ are generally financed et amortized by the rail operators.
The tourist trains’ customer pools are wide: from 30 to 60 minutes around the working train stations.
The tourist trains bring a net economic added value to the served areas.
Tourist trains are the most efficient way to add value to the heritage of a tourist railroad, in order to create an economic and social profit to the region that it crosses.
Developing a rail track in favor of tourism …
Advantages and disadvantages
An ecologic alternative
- Protection of a transport base for future generations
- Traveling for purposes other than trade or business
- Public authorities in charge of operating the lines
Rail-cycle draisine (velorails)
- Attractive and profitable activity
- An activity that will solidify a social demand
- Burden of investments lies with public authorities
- Limited client pool, without a constructive effect
Tourist railway
- Attractive and profitable activity
- Investments shared between public and private sector
- None or few operational risks for local authorities
- Quantifiable constructive effect
- Improved economic and social performance