Transportation corridor infrastructure planning and funding in the European Union

Abstract Transport networks have been instrumental in the European integration process and the completion of the internal market, supporting the facilitation of free movement, as well as the increasing integration of the European Union (EU) into global markets. Transport networks in Europe have been originally designed and developed from a national standpoint. An EU infrastructure policy at the European Community level was endorsed in the 1990s, aiming to develop continuous and efficient transport networks. The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) strategy was incorporated into the EU policies with the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. TEN-Ts include infrastructure comprising roads, railway lines, inland waterways, railroad terminals, airports, ports, and their subcomponents, throughout the 28 Member States. Selected core infrastructure comprises the Core Network layer, while the remaining infrastructure forms the comprehensive network layer. This chapter describes the freight transportation infrastructure that serves trade within the EU, providing detailed information on the nine core network corridors. The analysis is focusing on capacity, development, and funding mechanisms, as well as operation characteristics for each transport mode. The European transportation infrastructure funding mechanisms are also presented, followed by a description of policies relating to infrastructure connectivity with the EU’s neighboring countries.