Rhine-Alpine News
03.05.2023
Synergy Projects in Transport, Energy and Digital Networks
Source: transport.ec.europa.eu
A joint event on synergies between transport, energy and digital sectors of the North Sea-Baltic, North Sea-Mediterranean and Rhine-Alpine Corridors is open for registration. The event will take place from 11th to 12th May 2023 in Amsterdam. Supported by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands and Port of Amsterdam.
All transport modes require to become more sustainable in a multimodal transport system to reach the European Green Deal ambitious targets set. The TEN-T policy and the core network corridors play a crucial role in this context, providing the transport infrastructural basis of high technical standards to build upon across the European Union. At the same time, our energy system must be decarbonized and new digital tools will play a key role in the green transition. Many different interpretations on the concept of synergies exist and so do many different projects that seek to promote synergies. Many of these approaches are very valuable.
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is a key EU funding instrument to promote growth and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investments in all three sectors. It is designed in a way to make synergies between the three sectors possible to enhance the effectiveness of EU funding and accelerate the green transition.
The event in Amsterdam on “Synergy Projects in Transport, Energy and Digital Networks” will focus on enabling factors that make synergy projects possible. More information on practicalities and how to register on the event website: https://www.stratec.eu/nsb-nsmed-ralp-invitation/
Switzerland: Expansion of the rail infrastructure is making good progress despite delays
Source: Image by Andi Graf on Pixabay
The expansion of the Swiss rail network is making good progress. Hundreds of projects are currently running, and important milestones were reached last year. However, various major projects are delayed and planned service improvements can only be introduced with a delay. This is shown in the annual report on the status of major railway projects, which the Swiss Federal Office of Transport published on 28 April 28 2023. With the expansion steps for 2025 and 2035 and the ZEB projects (Future Development of Railway Infrastructure), Parliament has approved expansion programs for the railway network worth around CHF 25 billion. In this way, the offer for customers can be further improved, e.g. with longer and double-decker trains, more frequent services and individual travel time reductions. The implementation of the several hundred construction measures is progressing well, but is very demanding.
Significant progress made
As can be seen from the status report of the BAV, a lot of important progress was made in 2022: With the preliminary work on the partial expansion of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel (LBT), the first construction site of the expansion phase 2035 could be opened.
Financing is secured
Sufficient funds are available in the railway infrastructure fund for the expansion projects that have been decided upon. The credits approved by Parliament for the ZEB expansion program and for the NEAT are not being used in full. For the expansion steps in 2025 and 2035, the final cost forecast is currently higher than the approved loan. The Federal Office of Transport is implementing a cost reduction strategy here.
Source (in German): https://www.bav.admin.ch/bav/de/home.html
Urban Mobility Days 2023
Source: transport.ec.europa.eu
Save the Date for Urban Mobility Days 2023 taking place from 4-6 October in Seville, Spain. Urban Mobility Days will bring together politicians, local authorities, industry, and urban transport practitioners with the European Commission to connect, share and discuss the path forward for a sustainable, innovative, and equitable future for Europe’s urban mobility. And as 2023 is the European Year of Skills, Urban Mobility Days will have a specific focus on transport skills. The event is being organised together with the upcoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU.