TEN-T funds modernise French rail line

A section of French rail network from Mulhouse to Chalampé on the German border has been inaugurated to passenger traffic as part of a European Union supported project. The TEN-T funded project involves a 17.5 km section of French single-track rail infrastructure; the modernised section, supported by US$903,000 of EU funds, will allow faster connections to and from Mülheim in Germany. The project contributes to the TEN-T Priority Project 24 Lyon/Genova-Basel-Duisburg-Rotterdam/Antwerp railway axis, an esse
December 10, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A section of French rail network from Mulhouse to Chalampé on the German border has been inaugurated to passenger traffic as part of a 1816 European Union supported project.

The TEN-T funded project involves a 17.5 km section of French single-track rail infrastructure; the modernised section, supported by US$903,000 of EU funds, will allow faster connections to and from Mülheim in Germany.  The project contributes to the TEN-T Priority Project 24 Lyon/Genova-Basel-Duisburg-Rotterdam/Antwerp railway axis, an essential step in linking the German and French networks on the Rotterdam/Duisburg-Lyon corridor.

This section will be opened to commercial passenger traffic for the first time in over 30 years, having previously only been used for freight services.

The project consisted of various works aimed at modernising the rail section, notably:

• Upgrading of the line’s signalling equipment
• Strengthening of the track foundations by replacing the ballast to enable continuous speeds of up to 90 km/h
• Automation of three level crossings

On completion of the ancillary works in December 2012, travelling times on the section will be reduced by 10 minutes and speed will be increased from 70 to 90 km/h, thus rendering rail more competitive against other less energy-efficient transport modes.  From August 2013 high speed trains between Paris, Lyon or Marseille and Barcelona in the Mediterranean region will be able to use this part of rail infrastructure to transit through to Freiburg-im-Breisgau in Germany.

The 6998 TEN-T Executive Agency (TEN-T EA), which has managed the project from its start, and the 1690 European Commission welcomes the inauguration as an important milestone for rail transport in the EU.

Related Content

  • January 20, 2015
    EU identifies priorities for trans-European transport network until 2030
    The European Commission has published nine studies on the state of play and the development needs of the Ten-T core network corridors. The studies have identified infrastructure development needs which represent approximately US$811 billion of financial investment until 2030. They highlight the importance of optimising the use of infrastructure along the corridors, notably through intelligent transport systems, efficient management and the promotion of future-oriented clean transport solutions. This is the
    Read More
  • March 23, 2012
    EU approves US$660 billion to transform Europe's transport network
    The EU's Council of transport ministers met in Brussels yesterday and approved a proposal for a new regulation of Trans European Transport – Network (TEN-T) guidelines, in a package for a Connecting Europe Facility. The proposal approved yesterday, and which will cost US$660 billion by 2020 if fully implemented, is aimed at establishing and developing a complete TEN-T, consisting of infrastructure for roads, railways, inland waterways, shipping ports and airports. It also defined a comprehensive network and
    Read More
  • September 7, 2015
    EBRD connects Kosovo to European Railway network
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a senior loan of US$44.5 million to finance the modernisation of Kosovo’s railway infrastructure, deepening regional integration and strengthening the country’s economic development. The loan to Infrastruktura e Hekurudhave të Kosovës (Infrakos), the national railway infrastructure company, will provide funding to upgrade Kosovo’s only international rail link, Rail Route 10. The 148 kilometre-long line is divided into three section
    Read More
  • July 31, 2014
    EU supports key TEN-T infrastructure projects
    In the last Calls of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) Programme, the European Commission selected a total of 106 projects that will benefit from over US$428 million in EU support for improving transport infrastructure across Europe. The 52 projects selected from the 2013 Multi-Annual Call and 54 from the 2013 Annual Call will use the EU’s financial support to bring forward the completion of the TEN-T network as well as studying innovative ways of reducing the transport sector’s carbon footprint.
    Read More

Highlighted Content