Breitspur Planungsgesellschaft awarded with the "Triple-A Smart Sustainable Company Rating"

In an evaluation process, the project's contribution to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Compact Principals was confirmed.

Vienna, 28 July 2021: In the course of the General Assembly on 28 July 2021, the Breitspur Planungsgesellschaft (BPG) was awarded with the Triple-A Smart Sustainable Company Rating. This confirmed the project's contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Compact Principals at international level. The SDGs are political goals of the United Nations and came into force in 2016. They serve sustainable development on an economic, social and ecological level. This roadmap aims to enable a decent life worldwide and to preserve the natural foundations of life.

Rail project with special potential for climate protection

The analysis identified the extension of the broad-gauge railway from Kosice to the Vienna area, as having special potential in the SDG areas of climate protection, economic growth and the construction of resilient infrastructure. This shows the importance of the project, which is essential for achieving the climate goals and economic growth. Rail is the most environmentally friendly transport alternative: every tonne of freight transported by rail produces 21 times less CO2 than by road transports.

The EU Commission recently presented the “Fit for 55" plan. It aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared with 1990. This ambitious target can only be achieved by expanding the rail network - including freight transport. After all, shifting the rapidly growing transport volume between Asia and Europe from trucks, airplanes and freight ships to rail is a sustainable and innovative solution for achieving the climate targets. As BPG's environmental report shows, a broad-gauge rail expansion can reduce truck traffic in eastern Austria by 1,100 trucks per day - and thus save CO2, relieve the roads and reduce noise pollution accordingly.

Positive conclusion of the SP-V in Austria / Next steps in Slovakia

Three years ago, the Strategic Transport Review (SP-V) was launched and now completed in April this year. In the summary statement, the proposal of the initiators to strive for an additional high-capacity line according to the SP-V act is endorsed. In Slovakia, too, the preparatory process continues at full speed. The environmental impact assessment is currently being carried out there. A conclusion to the assessment is expected in January 2022.

About Breitspur Planungsgesellschaft mbH

The BPG is a joint venture of the Austrian, Slovakian, Ukrainian and Russian state railway companies, which is committed to the extension of the existing global railway network to Central Europe. The name refers to the wider gauge of the rail used to transport heavy loads over long distances. BPG is working to extend a historic railway line into the Vienna-Bratislava area, where many of the EU's major transport corridors intersect. A new inland container hub will allow onward transport by standard gauge rail, road and canal, and can thus reduce the need for road transport from the EU borders. The Kosice-Bratislava-Vienna expansion project has been in preparation for ten years and is currently undergoing environmental impact assessments in Austria and Slovakia.