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Brussels, 26 July 2002

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The 1200 km Paris – Brussels – Cologne/Frankfurt – Amsterdam – London high- speed railway project (“PBKAL”), one of the fourteen projects of the transeuropean transport network which were endorsed by the European Council at Essen in 1994 as highest priorities, plays a vital role in establishing a fast land transport link between major cities in the centre of Europe. The opening of the new, 175-km long German stretch between Cologne and Frankfurt brings the completion rate of the PBKAL project up to 56 %. On all remaining sections in Belgium (Brussels – German and Brussels -Dutch border), the Netherlands (Amsterdam – Belgian border) and the United Kingdom (Channel Tunnel – London), construction works are well under way, and overall completion of the PBKAL project is aimed at for 2006/2007. The ¼  ELOOLRQ 3%.$/ SURMHFW RQFH EHLQJ IXOO\ RSHUDWLRQDO ZLOO DOORZ VLJQLILFDQW reductions in travelling time between the involved cities: a gain of 1h 15 minutes between Brussels and Amsterdam and of 2 h 50 minutes between Brussels and London, part of which already being achieved. This is expected to give a boost to rail passenger traffic and enhance its competitiveness over the road and air modes. Besides the benefits for travellers, the whole region – a significant part of the Union - will benefit of improved conditions for economic activities and of a better environmental balance of the EU’s overall transport system. The gradual completion of the “PBKAL” high-speed rail project will also free existing lines from passenger traffic and allow increased capacity and quality of freight services. The overall project responds thus perfectly to key objectives of the Commission's White Paper on the European transport policy until 2010. The contributions to the PBKAL from the EU-transport TEN-budget line, have reached a total of ¼PLOOLRQVLQFHWKHHDUO\V0RGHVWLQFRPSDULVRQZLWKWKH overall project cost, against a total annual TEN budget of some hundred million ¼ they nevertheless clearly reflect the importance the EU institutions give to this project. The Commission is already looking forward to the next important milestone on the way: the completion of the new section Louvain – Liège on the Eastern branch of the Belgian part of the PBKAL project at the end of 2002.

 More information at http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy_transport/en/lb_en.html

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