Multimodal Axis Portugal/ Spain–Rest of Europe
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Priority axis No 8 – Ongoing Multimodal axis Portugal/ Spain–rest of Europe Major improvements in the road, rail, air and maritime infrastructures in the Iberian peninsula will make passenger and freight journeys within and between Spain and Portugal quicker and more efficient. And it will also improve connections with the rest of the EU, bringing the citizens and firms of these two Member States closer to the heart of Europe. What is the axis? What is its current status? The project will reinforce three multimodal corridors linking In the Portuguese section – in addition to studies concerning Portugal and Spain, helping to connect the two countries with improvements in all modes – much electrification, track doubling the rest of Europe. It includes sub-projects to improve routes and other upgrading work has already been carried out on the across the Spanish–Portuguese border, linking Spanish cities main railway lines.The Lisbon–Porto–Vigo–La Coruña motorway such as Valladolid, Seville,Vigo and La Coruña, with Portugal’s has been completed and the Lisbon–Faro–Seville motorway principal sea and airports, and its large urban centres – Porto and opened to traffic in 2002.The modernisation of Faro airport is Lisbon in particular. As part of wider infrastructure investments, it close to completion, while the modernisation of Porto’s airport is complements existing rail, road, maritime and air routes in the also at a very advanced stage.Within the next few years, west of the Iberian peninsula, and will link the main Portuguese construction is likely to start on Lisbon’s new Ota airport. and Spanish sections of the trans-European transport network. In the Spanish section, in addition to the completed motorway The project also includes the construction of Lisbon’s new airport links between Lisbon and La Coruña and Lisbon and Seville, two at Ota. connections from Lisbon/Porto to Valladolid are at a very Overall, the axis involves the construction of 2 265 km of new advanced stage of construction.The Valladolid–Benavente–Verin motorways, upgrading of 1 067 km of conventional rail lines, and section of the northern motorway is completed, as well as the upgrading of Atlantic ports and airports.The total costs of the Valladolid–Salamanca section of the eastern connection.The work will be around EUR 12.8 billion. remaining section from Salamanca to Fuentes de Oñoro should be operational by 2008. For the rail sections in Spain, upgrading works between Pontevedra and La Coruña, and from Fuentes de What are its expected benefits? Oñoro to Medina del Campo, are under way. Other sections of the two rail corridors are being studied. The project is an important contribution to continuing efforts to Up to 2004, Community support from the TEN-T budget improve links between the centre of the EU and its peripheral amounted to EUR 43 million.Various sections have also received regions, and will strengthen the Iberian peninsula’s position as a substantial support from the Cohesion Fund, and obtained loans western European gateway. from the EIB. Specifically, it will facilitate links between the peninsula and western and south-western France. Road freight currently accounts for 97 % of land trade flows between these two regions.This project will bring major improvements, significantly reducing journey times and increasing safety, especially for international traffic. By increasing the capacity of the railways, it will increase rail’s share of intra-Community freight transport along these corridors, contributing to environmental sustainability. Directly and indirectly, the project will also stimulate job-creation in the regions affected.The project will also benefit from the additional capacity for freight transport freed up after the completion of high-speed passenger lines (see axis No 3). TEN-T PRIORITY PROJECTS Priority section Type of work/status Distance Timetable (1) Total cost as Investment up TEN-T contribution, (km) of end 2004 to 31.12.2004 including studies, up to (million EUR) (million EUR) 31.12.2004 (million EUR) Railway La Coruña-Lisbon- upgrade 367 2000-09 (2010) 2 727 874 16 Sines Lisbon-Valladolid upgrade 400 1999-2015 (2010) (2) 1 917 841 5 Lisbon-Faro upgrade 300 2000-06 (2004) 1 001 780 1 Motorway Lisbon-Valladolid new 1 214 1996-2010 1 518 1 336 6 La Coruña-Lisbon new 598 2000-05 (2003) 2 365 2 097 1 Seville-Lisbon new 453 1998-2001 754 754 0 Airports new Lisbon Airport new 2006-15 2 550 0 3 TOTAL 12 832 6 682 43 (3) (1) In brackets, completion date listed in the 2004 guidelines, if different from the date notified in 2005 by the Member State. (2) The delay in the implementation of the Lisbon–Valladolid section is due to environmental procedures. (3) Note that the total TEN-T contribution includes EUR 11 million, which has been allocated to the Spanish and Portuguese sections in general and cannot be associated with a specific section of the axis. Priority section Other priority axes Rail in preparation Motorway of the sea under construction Rail 13 completed Airport 13 Maritime 6port 6 in preparation Road 8 under construction 8 completed 30 30 21 21 10 1028 29 15 15.