Railway infrastructure and its environmental effects in the Alps (1945 - today)

Abstract

This thesis is dedicated to the historical development of railway infrastructure since the Second World War. Geographically, the Alpine region is covered, specifically Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland. The first part of the thesis deals with the impact and long-term consequences of the European Recovery Programme (ERP) on railway infrastructure until 2021. For this purpose, original documents from the National Archives in Washington and original reports from the OEEC were analysed. The second part of the work deals with the environmental aspects of the entire life cycle of the railway infrastructure. Current developments and projects in the Alpine region are presented and evaluated in terms of their environmental impact. Research has shown that the ERP has shaped the railway infrastructure in the Alpine region in the long term. Many developments of the last 70 years can be traced back to the missions under the programme. Although railway infrastructure has undeniable environmental impacts throughout its life cycle, they are the alternative transport method of the future compared to road, air and maritime transport. Especially because technologies - such as electrification - make it possible to minimise emissions. Numerous organisations and initiatives are dedicated to this and other issues in the field of Alpine environmental protection and sustainable mobility.