POTENTIAL DEMAND FOR PASSENGER RAIL INTERCITY TRAFFIC AND POSSIBILITY OF INCREASING DEMAND (ABRIDGMENT)

In the spring 1979, the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) (German Railroad Association) introduced a new system--Intercity (IC) 1979. Due to its innovations (average travel-time reduction by 20 percent, two-class train system, increased number of trains on a firm hourly schedule, and imporved comfort), DB hoped to increase its number of potential passengers by inducing those who had previously used automobiles and airplanes to use the IC 1979 trains. The survey described here confirmed that this new concept would be successful. This was shown not only in the users' positive evaluations of the new system but also in the increased amount of travel (about 15 percent) on IC trains during the survey. Almost all the new passengers travel second class because of the deliberate change from exclusive IC trains to a fast, comfortable transportation mode for a broader spectrum of the population. An analysis of the potential increase in the number of passengers has proved the effectiveness of the new IC 1979 system. (Author)