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30 March 2018

Railway infrastructure management issues of importance to Lithuania were discussed with the EU Transport Commissioner


Minister of Transport and Communications Rokas Masiulis and Violeta Bulc, Transport Commissioner of the European Union (EU), currently visiting Vilnius, discussed the issues of importance to Lithuania related to the international transport infrastructure and mobility. The European Commissioner introduced the provisions of Lithuania aimed at the implementation of solutions in the transport sector initiated by the EU by harmonising them with the interests of the country as much as possible.

Electronic vignettes come into force in Lithuania

In order to create more favourable conditions for carriers, electronic vignettes have been legalised in Lithuania at the order of the Minister of Transport and Communications. From now on both paper and electronic vignettes can be used.

From Lithuanian-Belarusian state border to Klaipėda by electric train – in 2022 already


Using the investment of the European Union funds, Lithuania plans to electrify the entire railway line crossing the territory of the country in the East-West direction, from the Lithuanian-Belarusian state border to Klaipėda, until 2022. The list of state projects financed from the EU funds, in which projects dedicated to this purpose are planned, has been supplemented at the order of the Minister of Transport and Communications Rokas Masiulis. The total value of electrification projects is EUR 349.1 million, of which EUR 224.1 million is the planned investment from the EU Cohesion Fund, and the remaining funds will be allocated by JSC Lithuanian Railways.

CODECS C-ITS City Pool workshop

The final workshop of the CODECS C-ITS City Pool will take place in Dublin City Council on 22 March 2018 in order to involve city representatives and discuss the level of deployment of C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems)  and the benefits for transport authorities, in addition to the role they could play in the future.
Sessions will cover topics such as how C-ITS can support traffic management, what is the added value of C-ITS over existing ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems), are cities willing to pay for it, how can C-ITS strengthen urban freight and public transport.
Click here for draft agenda

Public review launched for new Urban Agenda Partnership on Urban Mobility

The Urban Agenda for the EU is a multi-level and multi-stakeholder initiative that strives to involve cities and urban authorities to achieve Better Regulation, Better Funding and Better Knowledge for urban policy in Europe.

23 March 2018

Green cities for a greener future

EU Green Week; Green Cities for a Greener Future is taking place from 21-25th May and will explore ways in which the EU is helping cities to become better places to live and work. 
Showcasing policy developments on air quality, noise, nature and biodiversity, waste and water management, Green Week will promote participatory approaches to urban development, networking schemes, and tools for sharing best practices, engaging local authorities and citizens, and encouraging them to share their vision of a sustainable future.
Registration for participants for the EU Green Week conference in Brussels will be open from the 1st April.
More information here

CIVITAS Annual Conference 2018


The CIVITAS Forum Conference for 2018, which will bring all the CIVITAS community together, will take place from 19-21 September in Umea, Sweden.

Transport for all: the commitment of European public transport

With the “TRAVEL FOR ALL – The Commitment of European Public Transport” brochure, UITP demonstrates the efforts to provide transport quality services accessible for all.
In UITP’s TRAVEL FOR ALL brochure, the reader may find useful best practices examples and measures implemented to improve the accessibility of infrastructure, vehicles, information and services. The best practices are also useful to view the accessibility of European networks for persons with reduced mobility and serves as an inspiration source for UITP members and everyone interested in public transport designs.
For more information here

International Rail Development 2018

Global Railway Review announces the launch of the International Rail Development, based in the central European location of Brussels on 22 and 23 May 2018.

CIMEC cities perspective on C-ITS: booklet available in English, Spanish, German

CIMEC has published a booklet providing a review of the main project findings on the subject of C-ITS (Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems) deployment in cities.

Volkswagen: The scandal explained

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that many VW cars being sold in America had a “defeat device” – or software- in diesel engines that could detect when they were being tested, changing the performance accordingly to improve results. More specifically, once on the road, the engines emitted nitrogen oxide pollutants up to 40 times above what is allowed in the US.
VW stated that they had found “irregularities” is tests to measure carbon dioxide emissions levels that could affect about 800,000 vehicles in Europe. VW will recall 8.5 million cars in Europe and 500,000 in US as a result of this scandal.
For more information here

6 March 2018

Overview of Greenhouse Gases

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gases and these are:
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of certain chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement). Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or "sequestered") when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle.
  • Methane (CH4): Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
  • Nitrous oxide (N2O): Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.
CO2 emissions are the primary greenhouse gas emissions and they account (in 2015) for about 82.2 % of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. In 2015, CH4 accounted for 10 %, whereas N2O for 5 %.
For more information here

Study: Volkswagen’s emission cheat to cause 60 premature deaths in U.S.

Based on a new MIT-led study, the use of Volkswagen’s software to evade emissions in more than 482,000 diesel vehicles sold in the U.S. will directly contribute to 60 premature deaths across the country. The Environmental Protection Agency discovered in September 2015 that Volkswagen had developed and installed “defeat devices” (software) in light-duty diesel vehicles sold between 2008 and 2015.

A digital era for transport: Solution for society, economy and environment

The conference “A digital era for transport: Solution for society, economy and environment” will take place in Vienna, at Transport Research Arena (TRA), at 16 – 19 April 2018 and will be hosted and organized by Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology, Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and AustriaTech.

Shift2Rail funds 155,3€ million for railway research and innovation

Shift2Rail is the first European rail Public Private Partnership tasked with developing strategically focused research and innovation (R&I) and market - driven solutions, integrating these to create the railway system of the future. Shift2Rail is promoting the competitiveness of the European rail industry and ensuring the attractiveness of rail as a safe and sustainable low carbon transport mode. This in order to meet the changing transport/mobility needs of EU citizens and the economy.

Planning for Multimodal Cities

Registration has opened for the European Commission's 5th European Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) on 14-15 May 2018 in Nicosia, Cyprus. This is Europe's leading annual event for all those involved in putting the SUMP concept into practice.
In line with the European Commission having dedicated the year 2018 to the promotion of multimodality, the theme of this year's conference is multimodality, with a focus on the integration of transport modes and combined mobility solutions for passengers and freight in cities and regions.
For registrations here and conference updates here