The European Union’s ambition to establish a seamless, sustainable, and high-quality multimodal transport network across Europe by 2050 has recently encountered setbacks due to an EU watchdog’s warning of delays jeopardizing crucial milestones for 2030 and 2040.
According to a January report from the European Court of Auditors (ECA), the completion of cross-border links, including the Lyon-Turin rail connection and the Canal Seine-Nord waterway, is unlikely to meet the EU’s 2030 deadline.
ECA member Annemie Turtelboom remarked, “Three decades after most of them were designed, we are still far from inaugurating these projects and realizing the anticipated enhancements in passenger and freight transport across Europe.”
The ECA assessed eight key projects that form the basis of the EU’s strategy to enhance road, rail, water, and air transport in the 27-member bloc to stimulate trade and economic growth.
TEN-T Facing Challenges
The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) serves as the backbone of Europe’s transportation infrastructure, featuring numerous significant transnational initiatives vital for improving connectivity. In 2013, EU member states committed to completing the TEN-T core network by 2030, but the Court of Auditors noted a deteriorating outlook, stating that “the prospects for 2025 are worse than they were in 2020 and fall significantly short of initial expectations.”
In a previous report in 2020, EU auditors highlighted that the eight examined megaprojects had seen a 47 percent rise in actual costs (adjusted for inflation) compared to initial estimates.
Spanning 13 countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, France, and Italy, these projects have received 15.3 billion euros in EU funding and face an average delay of 17 years, according to the auditors. The delays are attributed to unexpected technical difficulties, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.
Rising Costs Increase Pressure
The latest report indicates that costs have risen beyond expectations. Without adjusting for inflation, the total costs for the assessed projects have surged by 82 percent compared to initial estimates.
Recent evaluations show that costs for some projects have nearly doubled, with significant increases noted for two rail connections: Rail Baltica, linking Tallinn and Warsaw via Riga and Kaunas, saw costs rise by 291 percent, while the Lyon-Turin link experienced a 127 percent increase.
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, which gained independence from the Soviet Union and later joined the EU and NATO, have Soviet-era railway systems. In 2017, these three countries agreed to construct a high-speed rail link to enhance regional trade and logistics.
Additionally, the Lyon-Turin railway has faced environmental opposition over the years. Supporters argue it will reduce freight traffic on roads, while opponents have protested, citing ecological concerns and the drying up of local springs due to construction activities.
The Brenner Base Tunnel, intended to connect Innsbruck, Austria, and northern Italy primarily for freight transit, is now projected to cost 40 percent more than initially estimated, with a revised opening date of 2032 at the earliest, pushed back from the original 2016 estimate.
The Fehmarn Belt road/rail link between Denmark and Germany is now expected to be 52 percent more expensive, with an opening delayed by 11 years to 2029, and possibly further to 2031.
The Seine-Nord Europe Canal, aimed at facilitating goods transport between the Benelux countries and the Paris area, has also suffered significant cost overruns of 225 percent.
In Spain, the Basque Y railway line, originally anticipated to be operational by 2010 and then by 2023, is now expected to be completed by 2030 at the earliest, with 2035 deemed more realistic.
Despite the substantial issues identified across these megaprojects, the European Commission has yet to use its legal means to seek clarifications on delays from member states.
The auditors expressed hope that future national transport strategies will align with European priorities, a requirement now placed on member states, though this will only manifest in new projects.
Positive Developments for Two Projects
On a brighter note, the A1 motorway in Romania and the E59 railway line in Poland have seen their latest cost estimates fall below original projections. The report notes an 18 percent reduction for the E59 line, although no opening date was provided.
Poland’s TEN-T network already includes major seaports and airports, with the E59 railway forming part of the Baltic Sea – Adriatic Sea corridor.
Costs for the A1 motorway in Romania are now 11 percent lower than initially predicted, representing a crucial segment of the Rhine-Danube Corridor, creating a direct route between Bucharest and the Hungarian border at Nădlac. As a result, the completion timeline for the A1 motorway appears promising, potentially ahead of the 2030 deadline.
*Editorial note: The
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