European transport sector calls for more EU-funding
A coalition of over 40 European transport associations is calling for additional EU funding for the sector. The European Rail Freight Association (ERFA) states that investments are necessary to reach climate and resilience targets and to safeguard supply chain sovereignty.
ERFA points to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) as a ‘robust instrument’ that can facilitate additional investments. The coalition says that the CEF will be crucial in reaching a 50 per cent growth in rail freight volumes by 2030 and a doubling of volumes by 2050, which are the goals set out in the EU’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.
“The transport sector is of strategic importance in responding to Europe’s environmental, geostrategic, and capacity challenges. Only with a strong transport at its core will Europe be able to reach its climate and resilience goals and safeguard its supply chain sovereignty,” the coalition says.
A campaign leaflet will be handed over to an EU representative during the Connecting Europe Days in Brussels. In the leaflet, the coalition argues that investments in the transport sector are necessary to deliver on EU ambitions. It emphasises the importance of transport in enabling the European internal market, its strategic importance amid geopolitical tensions and climate change and its potential to improve EU competitiveness and job creation as reasons why the sector needs additional investments.
Rail freight
According to the EFRA, an expanded CEF can contribute to completing the Trans-European Transport Network, solve bottlenecks and expand key infrastructure parameters to enable 740-metre trains with a 22,5-tonne axle load. The coalition says that the EU funding instrument has already proven its effectiveness in funding useful projects, and that its expansion should be a priority.
Also read:
Yes, 22,5 ton allowed load, but at a track standard, that at least sustains todays traffic, speeds allowed, etc.!
(Current costly maintaining, a suboptimal “optimal maintenance”, etc…, is not sustainable!)
Redundancy (safe margins for future added load and speed) thus soundly providing for resilience (robustness) now as well has to be provided for, etc.