WRITTEN QUESTION E-3799/09 by Michael Cramer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

Subject: The high-speed rail link between Cologne, Aachen, Brussels and Paris in the context of TEN-T

The high-speed rail line between Cologne, Aachen, Brussels and Paris, a part of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), has undergone major upgrading works using resources from Germany and other Member States. The new line was completed two years ago. Since then, both Deutsche Bahn (DB, the German railway company) and the Thalys company have consistently assured us that the services would soon become faster. Most recently, in summer 2008 the Thalys board made promises in the local Aachen media that the travelling time between Aachen and Brussels would be cut to around an hour from summer 2009 (it is currently one hour and 34 minutes). For many passengers, the duration of this journey has crucial implications for their work. DB's new timetables indicate a reduction in travelling times for ICE high-speed trains as of June 2009, but only to one hour and 14 minutes. Thalys journeys are now even longer than before, taking between one hour and 37 minutes (the 18.59 from Brussels) and 1 hour and 41 minutes (the 16.55 from Brussels). Furthermore, in the morning the earliest Thalys to Brussels now leaves at 8.23, and not 8.01 as before, and only arrives at 10.01. Non-direct routes, which require changes at Welkenraedt or Liège, are inconvenient and take over two hours. This suggests that, two years after its completion, this new line still cannot be used, or at least not the stretch between Aachen and Liège.

1. Why is it that even after completion of the new track, journeys on this part of the line still take so long? To what extent can this shortcoming be attributed to the EU's political guidelines on adapting European transport policy to 'intelligent' and environmentally friendly transport links and capabilities (see ERTMS)?

2. What is the Commission's view of the fact that in this case a large number of passengers still cannot use a high-speed connection and are thus unable to complete their daily journeys on the Cologne-Aachen-Liège-Brussels-Paris line at the planned speed?

3. Does the Commission know when the Cologne-Aachen-Liège-Brussels-Paris line will be fully operational and when it will be possible to travel between Aachen and Brussels in an hour as promised?

787007.EN PE 426.719