THE European Commission (EC) is providing €807m for 38 projects to upgrade railway infrastructure within the European Union (EU) with the aim of increasing capacity for military traffic.
The projects have been selected from those submitted in response to the third call for proposals in the field of military transport under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) funding programme. This was brought forward following the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the EU looks to reinforce cooperation with Nato.
Located in 18 member states, the projects all form part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Major allocations include €91.6m for projects in Germany to increase capacity for 740m-long freight trains, including a new loop at Sechtem station and increasing the capacity of the intermodal terminal at Ulm-Dornstadt.
In Belgium, €30m will be provided for rail infrastructure enhancements within the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, including bridge renovation, a signalling upgrade and removing a bottleneck at Antwerp.
The EU will provide €51m for projects in the Netherlands, the majority going to infrastructure manager ProRail to build 740m long passing loops for military traffic at Rotterdam Noord, Lage Zwaluwe, Waalhaven Zuid, Roosendaal and Onnen.
Rail capacity will also be increased at the terminal operated by Verbrugge Zeeland at Sloehaven near Vlissingen, which has already handled shipments of US Army equipment to central Europe. Two new 740m tracks will be built.
In northern Finland, the EU is contributing to an upgrade of the line between Oulu and Laurila, which forms part of both the Scandinavian-Mediterranean and North Sea-Baltic corridors within the TEN-T Core Network. This aims to increased capacity, interoperability and safety for both military and civilian traffic.
The EU is providing €42.8m to upgrade the line between Copenhagen South and Kalvebod in Denmark, including two new passing loops and electrification. This will increase capacity between Copenhagen and Hamburg via the Fehmarn Belt, itself part of the route between Sweden and Germany.
CEF funding is supporting a feasibility study for a new 2km rail and road bridge across the River Danube between Giurgiu in Romania and Ruse in Bulgaria. Connecting the new bridge to the rail network will involve building 15km of access lines.
Infrastructure manager Italian Rail Network (RFI) will receive €30m for work to upgrade rail access to the Port of Genoa, including a new computerised interlocking and traction power supply system.
Polish infrastructure manager PLP PLK has been allocated €52.1m towards the construction of the new double-track railway bridge over the River Wisła on line C-E20, and upgrading 3km of double track between Góra Kalwaria and Kępa Gliniecka. The project will also improve capacity for cross-border passenger services as well as civilian freight.
In Sweden, infrastructure manager Trafikverket will receive €19.2m to remove a major bottleneck in Gothenburg by remodelling the junction at Olskroken where five lines meet. Gothenburg is on the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor.
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