77% of CEF financing in first call for TEN-T goes to rail
In the first round of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T), 77,7 per cent will go to railway projects. Sixty-seven rail projects across Europe will be funded for a total of 4,2 billion euros, out of the 5,4 billion for all 135 selected projects.
Those findings result from an in-depth analysis conducted by sister publication RailTech.com. All of the projects funded through this programme of the Connecting Europe Facility go to the TEN-T network, a Europe-wide network of railway lines, roads, inland waterways, maritime shipping routes, ports, airports and railroad terminals. The ultimate objective is to close gaps, remove bottlenecks and technical barriers, and EU member states can propose projects to apply for funding. At the end of June, 135 projects were approved in the first call.
Biggest beneficiaries
The biggest beneficiary of the rail projects from the Connecting Europe Facility’s first call is the Polish infrastructure manager PKL Polskie linie. A hefty 755 million euros will be directed towards modernising primary passenger lines E65 within the Silesian Province between Będzin and Katowice Piotrowice.
In addition, 540 million euros will be channelled to the construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel, which will connect Germany and Denmark via rail and road. Only the rail part of the tunnel will receive CEF funding. More specifically, the activities include the production and immersion of tunnel elements, the construction of the tunnel portal and the tunnel ramps on Lolland and Fehmarn, the establishment of the Tunnel Power Supply, continued monitoring environmental monitoring and safety at sea measures as well as public awareness measures.
Another 357 million is earmarked for Rail Baltica. The funding will support studies and works necessary to continue the implementation of the project across the three Baltic States. Rail Baltica is a railway line with standard European gauge (1435 mm) that will connect Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with each other and with the European railway network.
In the graph below, the division of CEF Transport funding for TEN-T divided by transport mode can be found.
Quantity is good, but quality matters, now more than ever. The railway, the track, virtually is fundamental and shall no longer remain Bottleneck of Industry.
Only, by added capacity and utilisation, of existing, full potential of investments is ensured. (A New Old Railway urgently is requested!
For not “cementing”, now any reinvestment, shall include upgrading. Simple risk of a risk, means added costs, at supply chains, of ware owners, clients, that have shifted strategy to “On Demand”.)