Eliminating TEN-T network bottlenecks

FACT SHEET NO.: Cat-No.3 / Subcat-No.3.2

3. Infrastructure

3.2 TEN-T key bottlenecks (freight and passenger)

Eliminating TEN-T network bottlenecks

The Trans-European Transport Networks are a planned set of road, rail, air and water transport networks in Europe. The TEN-T networks are part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks, including a telecommunications network and a proposed energy network. The European Commission adopted the first action plans on trans-European networks in 1990.
TEN-T envisages coordinated improvements to primary roads, railways, inland waterways, airports, seaports, inland ports and traffic management systems, providing integrated and intermodal long-distance, high-speed routes. A decision to adopt TEN-T was made by the European Parliament and Council in July 1996. The EU works to promote the networks by a combination of leadership, coordination, issuance of guidelines and funding aspects of development.
The TEN-T policy has helped to complete a large number of projects of common interest, interconnecting national networks and overcoming technological barriers across national borders. Amongst the success stories is the high-speed railway line linking Paris, Brussels, Cologne/Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London. It has not only interconnected national networks and marked a breakthrough of a new generation of railway traffic across borders, but it has also provided citizens and business travellers with a competitive travel option within Europe. The wide consultation process, the external expertise, the ex-post assessments conducted and the internal analysis used over the last two years have shown that the European Union does not dispose yet of a complete trans-European infrastructure network, and especially not for rail and inland waterways, where essential parts are still missing and constitute important bottlenecks. The infrastructure network in the EU today is indeed fragmented, both from a geographical and a multi-modal perspective. It is also not sufficiently integrated in the international trade flows that feed the European internal market. Despite important efforts towards improvement, European rail and inland waterway networks are still lacking capacity and efficiency. [2]

- High capacity railway route through the Pyrenees for freight
- East-European high speed train/combined transport Paris-Stuttgart-Vienna
- Improvement of the navigability of the Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen
- Verona-Naples rail link, including the Bologna-Milan branch

-Reduction of GHG emissions
-Drastic decrease in the oil dependency ratio
-Limit the growth of congestion
The overall aim of the TPM is to provide by 2030 for the establishment of a complete and integrated TEN-T that would maximise the value added for Europe of the network. This optimal network would cover and link all EU Member States in an intermodal and interoperable manner. This network would also provide links to neighbouring and third countries, as well as all transport modes and systems that would support the move towards a competitive and resource-efficient transport system by 2050.
This aim is consistent with the 'Inclusion Growth' initiative of Europe 2020, the Single Market Act and with the general goal of the TEN-T policy; to improve the competitiveness of the EU economy as a whole, to support the completion of the internal market, and to contribute to a balanced territorial development of the Union. [2]

Significant improvement in choice of transport mode due to complete, competitive networks for all modes (rail, iww, road)

The network of TEN-T corridors will become more attractive.

Significant improvement of energy efficiency and usage due to smart administrative processes and complete network

[1] Emory's Research & Consulting (2007): Ex ante evaluation of the TEN-T Multi Annual Programme 2007-2013, Framework Contract for Ex-ante evaluations and Impact Assessments (TREN/A1/46-2005) FINAL REPORT-2.
[2] European Commission (2011): SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT Accompanying document to the WHITE PAPER Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system SEC(2011) 358 final, SEC(2011) 391 final, COM(2011) 144 final.
[3] European Commission (2011): Impact Assessment, Accompanying the document PROPOSAL FOR A REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on Union Guidelines for the development of the Trans-European Transport Network {COM(2011) 650 final}, {SEC(2011) 1213 final}.
[4] European Investment Bank (2006): Evaluation of Cross-border TEN Projects.