Priority Project 1: Railway axis Berlin-Verona/Milano-Bologna … · 2016-09-22 · 2 Priority...

Transport

Annual Reportof the CoordinatorPat Cox

Brussels October 2013

TEN-T Trans-European Transport Networks

Annual Activity Report 2012-2013 for PriorityProject 1Railway axis Berlin-Verona/Milano-Bologna-Napoli Messina-PalermoBrussels October 2013

This report only represents the opinion of the European Coordinator and does not prejudice the official position of the European Commission.

Pat CoxEuropean Coordinator

European Commission

2 Priority Project 1: Railway axis Berlin-Verona/Milano-Bologna-Napoli-Messina-Palermo

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary 3

1. Introduction 4

2. State of the project 5

2.1. The Brenner Corridor (Munich - Verona) 5

2.1.1. Brenner Base Tunnel 5

2.1.2. Northern access route 11

2.1.3. Southern access route 12

2.2. Other sections 13

2.2.1. Germany 13

2.2.2. Italy 13

2.3. European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) 14

2.4. Project financing 14

2.4.1. National commitments 14

2.4.2. Cross-financing mechanisms 15

2.4.3. EU commitments 16

2.5. Cooperation frameworks 17

2.5.1. Austria-Italy Intergovernmental Commission (CIG) 17

2.5.2. Brenner Corridor Platform 17

2.5.3. Aktionsgemeinschaft-Brennerbahn - Comunita d'azione ferrovia del Brennero 18

2.5.4. Alpine Convention 19

2.6. Activities of the Coordinator 19

3. Coordinator's mandate 2010-2013 21

4. Outlook 24

Annex 26

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SUMMARY

With a TEN-T budget allocation of almost €1 billion in the financial perspective 2007-2013, Priority Project 1 Berlin-Palermo is one of the most significant infrastructure projects of the Trans-European Transport Network.

PP1 will connect the main economic centres of activity in Northern Europe with those in Southern Europe. The centrepiece of this project 1 is the Brenner Corridor. This section, located between Munich and Verona, crosses the ecologically sensitive Alpine regions which are under constant pressure from the volume of road traffic.

Since June 2010, when Pat Cox undertook his role of Coordinator for this project, important progress has been made:

• A crucial step for the realisation of the Brenner Base Tunnel was made by the agreement of 18 April 2011 on the total cost for the project of €7460 million (2010 prices). Following this agreement the main construction works on the base tunnel could start.

• By June 2013, 27 km of tunnels including 1.4 km of the main tubes, had been excavated, representing more than 10 % of the whole tunnel system.

• Despite severe austerity programmes, Austria and Italy committed significant additional funding for the Brenner Base Tunnel to ensure the continuation of this major infrastructure project.

• The Lower Inn Valley line, which is part of the northern access route in Austria, went into operation on 9 December 2012.

• On the southern access route the planning phase of the mission critical lot Fortezza-Ponte Gardena is about to be completed.

• On 15 June 2012, Austria and Germany signed an inter-ministerial agreement for the upgrading of the section between Munich and Kiefersfelden. This agreement allowed the start of the planning process of the important cross-border section.

Despite the important progress which has been made on this high capacity rail axis, there are still important issues that need to be tackled. In particular on the northern access route (Munich-Kiefersfelden) and on the southern access route concrete decisions and financial commitments to the planning and the construction still have to be made to secure the necessary progress and EU co-funding.

The Coordinator will continue to emphasise the need to make the most of the EU funds, which are available under the current funding decisions and will become available in the future under the new TEN-T policy. Furthermore, the Coordinator will continue to stress the importance of flanking measures, supporting the construction and operation of the infrastructure, and a clear communication strategy, securing the engagement of all stakeholders directly and indirectly involved in this project.

As of 2014, PP1 will become an integral part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor. The more complex temporal, geographical and multi-modal scope of this new corridor will require a different coordination strategy. The major challenges will be to bring together all stakeholders, lead them to concrete results and secure adequate EU co-funding to accommodate progress.

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1. INTRODUCTION

The 2200 km long high capacity north-south rail axis between Berlin and Palermo is one of the most significant projects of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). The centrepiece of this Priority Project 1 is the cross-border rail section between Munich and Verona, the so-called Brenner Corridor, including the Brenner Base Tunnel, the northern access route and the southern access route.

The Berlin-Palermo rail axis will make an important contribution to a sustainable European transport policy. By constructing a high capacity rail axis the scope of both freight and passenger transport between northern and southern Europe will significantly increase. Also it will deliver an important contribution to reaching the EU's policy goal of achieving modal shift from road to rail. Furthermore, Priority Project 1 will help address some of the key environmental challenges that communities along the line are facing, especially in the ecologically sensitive Alpine regions encompassed by the Brenner Corridor, where the quality of life and environment is under constant pressure from the volume of road traffic.

Financially, the strategic significance of Priority Project 1 to the EU's transport infrastructure policy is confirmed by the allocation of almost €1 billion of the TEN-T budget in the financial perspective 2007-2013.

Priority Project 1 offers a double added value, especially in this period of economic crisis and budgetary rigour: firstly, it offers a capacity to stimulate and leverage further investment, creates employment and supports the infrastructural industry in the countries and regions along the corridor; secondly, it contributes to the long-term mobility and sustainability objectives of Member States, regions and of the European Union.

When undertaking the role of European Coordinator for Priority Project 1 in June 2010, Coordinator Cox declared that he wanted to ensure progress by establishing, first of all, concrete financial capacity in particular for the Brenner Corridor. In this regard, good progress has been made on the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access route. During this reporting period Austria and Italy committed significant additional funding for the coming years, despite the fact that both states are undergoing austerity programmes. Moreover, on the Austrian side of the northern access route the new Lower Inn Valley rail between Kundl and Baumkirchen became operational on 9 December 2012. On the German side the preliminary planning process has started. However, no concrete financial commitments have yet been made for the final planning and construction of this part of the line.

The next reporting period will be dedicated to the transition from Priority Project 1 Berlin-Palermo to the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor and to preparing and optimising EU funding for the period 2014-2020 under the multiannual financial framework.

In addition to the financing imperative for the various projects, the Coordinator will continue to focus on the progressive identification and development of a comprehensive framework of accompanying policy measures aimed at improving efficiency and sustainable mobility. An important step in this direction was made on 10 June 2013, when the European Union ratified the Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention.

Apart from describing project developments during the reporting period 2012-2013, this report also provides a summary of the Coordinator's first mandate, which started in June 2010 and ended on 22 July 2013.

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2. STATE OF THE PROJECT

2.1. The Brenner Corridor (Munich – Verona)

The success of Priority Project 1 clearly depends on the realisation of its centrepiece, the Brenner Corridor, which includes the cross-border Brenner Base Tunnel between Innsbruck and Fortezza, the cross-border access route between Munich and Innsbruck, and the southern access route between Fortezza and Verona.

The Brenner Corridor is of fundamental importance in terms of transport, economics and ecology. It is needed in order to transfer a significant part of freight traffic from road to rail. The resulting reduction in air and noise pollution will greatly improve the ecological situation and quality of life in the area.

Once the new railway line is operational, journey times crossing this part of the Alps will be shorter, freight capacity will be enhanced and thus a bottleneck which is crucial for the entire project will be eliminated. The Brenner Corridor will interconnect the national railway networks that nowadays operate with different systems. The command and control system installed will be ERTMS-II (European Rail Traffic Management System, Level II), compatible at a European level.

Realising the Brenner Corridor goes beyond Priority Project 1. Together with the Gotthard-Monte Ceneri axis in Switzerland and the Lyon-Turin rail connection, the Brenner Corridor will link high-capacity rail networks between northern and southern Europe, thus delivering a major contribution to the establishment of the trans-European transport network and to achieving the environmental objectives which are so important for the ecologically sensitive Alpine region.

It is clear that the new base tunnel can only add value to the trans-European transport network if access routes north and south of the tunnel can process the same traffic flows. The Coordinator therefore considers the timely completion of the access routes, in parallel with the base tunnel, as one of his main priorities.

2.1.1. Brenner Base Tunnel

The Brenner Base Tunnel runs from Innsbruck, Austria to Fortezza, Italy over a length of 55 km. If one adds the Innsbruck railway bypass, which has already been built and which is the endpoint for the Brenner Base Tunnel, the entire tunnel system is 64 km long. The Brenner Base Tunnel can therefore be considered the world’s longest underground railway connection.

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Schematic overview of the Brenner Base Tunnel

The current Brenner railway line which is almost 150 years old involves steep and slow climbs. The new tunnel will reduce the total distance between Fortezza and Innsbruck by approximately 20 km and will significantly reduce the climbing slope with a longitudinal gradient of 6.7 ‰ on the northern side and 4 ‰ on the southern side of the Brenner thus making it much flatter. The top planned speed for freight trains is foreseen to be 120 km/h with a maximum speed for passenger trains of 250 km/h. Transit time on the existing track is currently about 80 minutes. This will be reduced to 25 minutes once trains can run through the new base tunnel.

Cross section Brenner Base Tunnel with gradients

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The Brenner Base Tunnel consists of two one-track tubes running at a distance of 40 to 70 m from each other. These two main tubes have an internal diameter of 8.1 m and are connected at regular 333 m intervals by cross tunnels which will serve as escape routes in emergency situations.

Between the two main tubes and 12 meters below them runs a smaller exploratory tunnel that will later be used as a drainage and service tunnel. This exploratory tunnel, with an inner diameter of about 6 m, is to be excavated first, as it provides information on the geological and hydrogeological composition of the rock. This helps to improve the accuracy of future tenders which means saving time and money during construction.

Milestones

Of crucial importance for the future of the Brenner Base Tunnel was the agreement reached on 18 April 2011 by Austria and Italy on the total cost for the project of €7460 million (1 January 20101 prices). This agreement paved the way for main construction works on the base tunnel, the so-called Phase III, to be carried out by the project promoter BBT SE. Since 2010 BBT SE provides updated expected costs for the entire project on an annual basis. The expected costs as per 1 January 2013 prices amount to €8,756 million, including a €500 million contingency for non-identifiable risks.

Since the agreement of 18 April 2011 the preparatory work for the construction of the two main tunnels has started. On 11 June 2012 the Supervisory Board of BBT SE approved the construction of some preliminary stretches of the main tunnel, specifically about 1 km of tunnelling at the geologically challenging Periadriatic seam in Mules and minor parts of the tunnels interconnecting the Innsbruck by-pass. Meanwhile, the first construction works on the main tunnels have commenced and will be further extended in the next years.

The impact of the economic and financial crisis has led to budgetary adjustments which have also impacted the Brenner Base Tunnel. As a result the total flow of investments from both Austria and Italy has been reduced by approximately €330 million. The bulk of the savings has been achieved by shifting activities from the period 2012-2016 to the period 2016-2025. A smaller part comes from technical measures, such as optimised construction methods.

1 Austria has added a risk pre-caution for unidentified risks of approx. €500 million to the total costs of the project.

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Notwithstanding these austerity measures both the date of completion (2025) and the beginning of operations (2026) were confirmed by the governments of Austria and Italy.

In the light of the pressure on public finances in the states concerned the Coordinator welcomes the on-going political and financial commitment to proceed with the project and the shared determination to complete all works by the deadlines originally agreed. In spite of undergoing austerity programmes, Austria and Italy committed significant additional funding for the Brenner Base Tunnel during this reporting period (see par. 2.4.1). On the basis of these financial commitments from Italy and Austria, the BBT SE Supervisory Board approved in July 2013 three construction lots (underpass Eisack River, Tulfes-Pfons section and Steinach section) for a total budget of almost €1 billion. These decisions form the basis for important works to be undertaken on this project in the coming years.

Construction progress: 27 kilometres built

Since 2007 the construction of this major infrastructure project has been proceeding apace. Work is currently underway on access tunnels, on the exploratory tunnel and on the first stretches of the main tubes. By June 2013 27 km of tunnels had been excavated. This is more than 10 % of the whole tunnel system which amounts to more than 200 km in total.

First, four lateral access tunnels with the entrances to the construction sites and disposal areas were built, leading from the surface to the level of the exploratory tunnel and the main tunnels. They are located in Ampass, Ahrental, Wolf and Mauls. During the construction phase, the components of the huge tunnel boring machines - with which large sections of the tunnels will be excavated - will be carried into the inside of the mountain through these access tunnels and put together in specially excavated assembly chambers. All construction site traffic and spoil removal will also take place through these side tunnels, which are built, for this reason, with a cross-section of over 110 square meters and are larger than normal roadway tunnels.

The construction sites were set up as far away from residential areas as possible. Project specific connection roads starting from the motorway and leading directly to important construction sites were built in order to minimize traffic in surrounding villages.

Construction lots: step by step

Periadriatic Seam (Italy)

After the completion of the exploratory stretch from Aica to Mules (approx. 11 km) and the lateral access tunnel of Mules (1.8 km) in autumn 2011 the excavating operations began on the Periadriatic seam. The works on this 1.3 km delicate section of the exploratory tunnel in the direction of the Brenner Pass are ongoing. At the same time several preparatory works have been carried out, including the 180 m long chambers for the assembly of the tunnel boring machine and the connection between the exploratory tunnel and the future main tubes. The latter connection will be of particular importance in terms of logistics since future spoil will be transported to the disposal sites through the exploratory tunnel by conveyor belt. To date 920 m of exploratory tunnel, the connection tunnel and the two big assembly chambers have been excavated. In addition, 1.4 km of the main tunnel tubes have been excavated. This construction lot plans to excavate 1.2 km of the eastern and western main tubes.

Innsbruck-Ahrental (Austria)

In Austria the works for the Brenner Base Tunnel started in December 2009 with the Innsbruck-Ahrental construction lot. Since then a stretch of 5.5 km of exploratory tunnel has been excavated in a southerly direction. The lot includes also the 2.4 km lateral access tunnel at Ahrental. These tunnel sections were completed by August 2013.

Wolf (Austria)

2 km of tunnel have been excavated so far at the Wolf construction site. Two tunnels the Padaster and the Saxener serve as logistical channels for construction site traffic.

The 700 m long Padaster tunnel is of particular importance since it allows excavated spoil to be brought directly from the main construction site to the disposal area thus avoiding

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burdensome heavy traffic for the host community.

The Saxener tunnel will connect the A 13 motorway directly to the construction site thus keeping heavy service traffic off local public roads with disruption for both neighbours and the environment kept to a minimum.

In 2012/13 all the preparatory works in the Padastertal have been carried out including the disposal works. The next construction lot, which includes a 4 km long access tunnel and another 1 km tunnel in the Padastertal, starts in October 2013.

Construction site Wolf

Ampass (Austria)

The construction works on the Ampass lateral access tunnel started in May 2012 and have been completed after 1 one year of work in May 2013.

Works in the lateral access tunnel of Ampass

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Basic data Brenner Base Tunnel2

Length of the new Brenner railway Munich - Verona 425 km

Total subterranean length from the Innsbruck bypass to Fortezza 64 km

Length of the base tunnel from the Innsbruck portal to the Fortezza portal 55 km

Longitudinal grade 4.00-6.70‰

Operating speed for goods trains max.120 km/h

Energy supply for railway electric traction 125 kV 50 Hz

Control and command system ETCS Level 2

Elevation at the upper surface of the rails at the Innsbruck portal 608.80 m

Elevation at the upper surface of the rails at the highest point 794.00 m

Elevation at the upper surface of the rails at the Fortezza portal 747.20 m

Internal diameter of the main tunnel 8.1 m

Internal diameter of the exploratory tunnel min. 5 m

Amount of rock in disposal sites as compared to excavated volume ca. 75%

Expected amount of excavated rock to be placed in disposal sites ca. 17mio m³

Construction phase 2010 - 2025

Planning and construction phases:

Phase I: preliminary project and prospection

Phase II: final project and environmental impact assessment

Phase IIa: exploratory section

Phase III: exploratory tunnel and main tunnel

1999-2003

2003-2010

2007-2018

2011-2025

Operational 2026

2 Source: http://www.bbt-se.com/

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2.1.2. Northern access route

Austria: Lower Inn Valley line

On 26 November 2012, the Coordinator attended the official opening ceremony of the Lower Inn Valley Line between Kundl and Baumkirchen as the official representative of the EU.

The ceremony was attended by the Austrian Minister Bures, Governor Platter of Tyrol, the CEO's of ÖBB holding and ÖBB Infrastructure and representatives of local authorities. The new line was opened with a special train ride, passing the section from Innsbruck to Radfeld in a tunnel with a top speed of 220 km/h.

In his speech the Coordinator described the opening of the Lower Inn Valley line as an important milestone in the development of the Brenner Base Tunnel and the access routes. With the opening of the Lower Inn Valley Line, a major step forward has been set in realising sustainable and more resource efficient transport, which is important for Austria, Tyrol, the local communities along the new line, and also for the European Union.

He noted that the new line when the Brenner Base Tunnel becomes operational will permit traffic capacity growth from 350 to more than 500 trains per day. With 34 kilometres of tunnels perfectly integrated into the landscape this new line also will improve the quality of life for those living along the route.

Since 9 December 2012, the Lower inn Valley line is fully operational.

Construction site Lower Inn Valley Rail

Lower Inn Valley Rail: Tunnel Boring Machine

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Germany-Austria: Munich - Rosenheim - Kiefersfelden - Kufstein - Kundl

The first step in the development of the northern access route was acknowledged by the inclusion of a proposal for an additional rail line between Munich, Rosenheim and Kiefersfelden in the German Federal Railway Infrastructure Requirement Plan 2010, at a projected cost of €2.6 billion.

The next step was the signature of an inter-ministerial agreement for the upgrading of the cross-border rail connection between Munich and Innsbruck by Austrian minister for infrastructure, Mrs Bures, and German minister for infrastructure, Mr Ramsauer, on 15 June 2012 in Rosenheim. Coordinator Cox also attended the signing ceremony. In his speech he stressed the need to start the relevant planning studies to secure available EU co-financing as soon as possible.

Following this agreement, Germany cleared funding for Deutsche Bahn to begin planning this access route in cooperation with ÖBB. A German-Austrian inter-ministerial working group has started discussing the planning process. Several meetings already have taken place.

The inter-ministerial agreement between Austria and Germany also confirms the need for a transparent and extensive planning dialogue involving all key stakeholders and a clear communication policy. As a result DB Netz and ÖBB Infra organised a first information event on the planning of the northern access route on 15 January 2013. Members of the national and regional parliaments and the mayors along the route were invited to attend. The meeting marked a first step in the information campaign.

In parallel to this process DB Netz and ÖBB Infra continue working on the design options. As a result of this cooperation Germany and Austria issued a joint proposal for a pre-study on the alignment between Munich (DE) and Radfeld (AT) under the 2012 TEN-T Multi-annual call. In June 2013 the proposal was selected and awarded €3.4 million EU co-funding.

Although Germany has yet to take any concrete decisions or make any substantial financial commitments to the planning and construction of the northern access route between Munich and Kiefersfelden, the initiatives taken during this reporting period may be considered as encouraging.

In the coming period, in the context of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor, the northern access route will remain one of the top priorities of the Coordinator. He will maintain close contact with all the appropriate authorities and stakeholders at federal and regional levels to ensure progress.

2.1.3. Southern access route

For the southern access route, Italy has identified 5 main construction lots:

Lot 1: Fortezza/Ponte Gardena

Lot 2: Bypass of Bolzano

Lot 3: Bypass of Trento

Lot 4: Access to Verona

Lot 5: South Tyrolean Unterland

The EU initially committed €58 million from its TEN-T budget 2007-2013 for the design phase of the first four lots.

Most progress has been made on lot 1, Fortezza-Ponte Gardena. This lot is mission critical as it will eliminate the main bottleneck on the southern access. On 18 November 2010, the inter-ministerial committee for economic planning (CIPE) validated the preliminary design and approved a budget of €1600 million for this lot. Meanwhile the preliminary design has been completed and the planning phase should be completed soon. On 14 May 2013, the Court of Auditors approved the CIPE decision to start the final design of Lot 1. While some of the preparatory construction work will start in 2013, the main construction phase is expected to start in 2016/2017. The construction of this lot will be completed in 2025 in parallel with the

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completion of the Brenner Base Tunnel.

On 21 June 2013 the Italian Parliament approved a Decree which includes the financing of the southern access route. According to the Decree a yearly contribution of €120 million will be made available for the southern access route for the period 2015 to 2024.

On 19 July 2013 CIPE allocated €70 million for Lot 3, the Trento bypass. Once the CIPE decision has been registered by the Court of Auditors the planning phase can start.

For lot 4, access to Verona, negotiations with the local and regional authorities on the alignment and characteristics of the line have led to an agreement on 14 May 2013. The next step, following this agreement, is to obtain the approval of CIPE for the start of the planning phase.

As regards the construction lots 2, Bolzano bypass, and 5, South Tyrolean Unterland, no concrete progress can be reported. These projects are facing considerable delays.

Despite these delays the Italian rail infrastructure manager, RFI, confirms its intention to complete the southern access route in due time and in parallel with the BBT by 2025.

2.2. Other sections

Although most of the activities of the Coordinator have been concentrated on the Brenner Corridor, good progress can also be reported on other sections of Priority Project 1. North of Munich and south of Verona, new high capacity sections have been constructed and existing sections have been upgraded and equipped with ERTMS. Together with the Brenner Corridor they establish the important passenger and freight transport connections between the major economic centres in northern and southern Europe.

2.2.1. Germany

The high capacity/high speed sections between Berlin and Halle/Leipzig and between Nuremberg and Munich have entered service.

The bottleneck section between Halle/Leipzig and Erfurt is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. This project received €57 million of TEN-T co-funding until 2014. Further EU support is to be obtained from structural funds. The section between Erfurt and Nuremberg will be newly constructed in part and part upgraded. The newly constructed part, Erfurt to Ebensfeld, is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. The upgrading of the section Ebensfeld - Nuremberg will be completed in separate sections after that.

2.2.2. Italy

The railway axis Verona/Milan - Bologna - Florence - Rome-Naples/Salerno is operational in its entirety. The sections Milan - Bologna and Verona - Bologna entered service in 2008. The section between Bologna and Florence became operational in 2009.

On 14 November 2012, Coordinator Cox visited the Rome Tiburtina station project. This station aims to become the gateway of Rome's high-speed/high capacity rail system, serving as an intermodal hub within the urban area for both long distance, regional and metropolitan services. The station has been completed but still awaits its connection to the high speed rail network. The works on the underground bypasses of Bologna and Florence are on-going.

2.3. European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS)

On the section Nuremberg-Naples Priority Project 1 coincides with ERTMS Corridor B, which aims to progressively implement ERTMS level 2 and to harmonise operational rules along the

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Stockholm - Copenhagen - Hamburg - Munich - Innsbruck - Naples corridor.

Whereas the sections between Stockholm and Munich and between Verona and Naples have to equipped with ERTMS by 2020, the Brenner section Munich-Verona is to be equipped with ERTMS in 2015, according to Commission Decision (2009) 5607 of 22 July 2009.

The new Lower Inn Valley line between Kundl/Radfeld and Baumkirchen, which is operational since 9 December 2012 is fully ERTMS equipped.

The management and coordination of ERTMS Corridor B have been integrated in the Rail Freight Corridor 3 (Stockholm - Malmö - Copenhagen - Hamburg - Innsbruck - Verona - Palermo). It is therefore important to establish a good cooperation with Rail Freight Corridor 3. The first steps toward such cooperation have been set in motion through the Brenner Corridor Platform on 5 July 2012 in Innsbruck. This cooperation will be further enhanced under the new structure for the Brenner Corridor Platform (see par. 2.5.2).

2.4. Project financing

2.4.1. National commitments

From the start of the project, the EU has made substantial financial contributions to Priority Project 1. Under the new EU Regulation establishing the Connecting Europe Facility the level of EU co-funding will increase. Nevertheless, the participating Member States will remain responsible for the largest part of the investments.

In these economically difficult times transport and transport infrastructure are fundamental for our economies. They facilitate and stimulate mobility and hence economic growth. The Coordinator therefore welcomes the continuous political and financial commitment of the States and their determination to complete all works in due time and manner.

In the shadow of the most pressing financial crisis that the European Union has faced in its history, Member States are forced to undergo severe austerity programmes. Nevertheless, Austria and Italy committed significant additional funding for the Brenner Base Tunnel to ensure the continuation of this major infrastructure project. Austria approved a new financial framework plan 2013-2018, in which an exclusive financial commitment of € 1545 million has been made for the Brenner Base Tunnel until 2018. In Italy, similar financial commitments were made. On 31 May 2013, the inter-ministerial committee for economic planning (CIPE) approved and provided a budget of € 297 million for the second main construction lot of the Brenner Base Tunnel. This amount comes directly from funds under the Stability Act. A further amount of € 338 million has to be cross-financed by the A22 railway fund. This budget will become available once the A22 shareholders meeting has agreed to transfer the money to the Brenner Base Tunnel (see par. 2.4.2).

Furthermore, on 21 June 2013 the Italian Parliament approved a Decree which foresees a yearly contribution of € 120 million for the southern access route for the period between 2015 and 2024.

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2.4.2. Cross-financing mechanisms

Italy

Italy applies a specific cross-financing scheme to partly finance the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access route. This scheme consists of a cross-financing fund ("Railway fund") derived from the road tolls revenues collected by the A22 motorway concession. The fund has been earmarked specifically to cross finance the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access route. By the time the current A22 motorway concession expires in 2014 the Railway fund will have collected € 550 million.

The Italian government decided to put the new A22 motorway concession out to public tender. The current concessionaire, Autostrada del Brennero SpA, whose main shareholders are the provinces Bolzano and Trento, contests this decision to tender. It asked the government to prolong the concession. After extensive discussions the government in Rome, after it had consulted the European Commission (DG MARKT), decided that the current concession could not be prolonged.

Despite the fact that the decision to tender the next concession is final, the A22 Railway fund still has not been transferred to the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access route. On 29 May 2013 the main public shareholders of Autostrada del Brennero SpA, the provinces of Bolzano and Trento, reached an agreement with the federal government to transfer the A22 Railway Fund. However, the implementation of this deal is stalled due to lack of approval of the private shareholders. A meeting of all shareholders will be held in September 2013 with a view to coming to a final agreement on the funding transfer.

Under the new concession cross-financing of the Brenner Base Tunnel and the access route will be guaranteed. According to the Italian Budget Law 2010 regarding motorway concessions, the next A22 concessionaire has to reserve a minimum amount per year for cross-financing the Brenner Base Tunnel and southern access which shall be not less than the average payment per year under the current concession, i.e. €34 million. Over a concession period of 50 years this would lead to a total amount earmarked for the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access of approximately €1.5 billion.

A second potential source for cross-financing the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access route is the introduction of the Eurovignette scheme, a time based road user charge. However, although Italy has agreed to implement the Eurovignette system, no decision has yet been taken on the specific application and modalities of this system.

Austria

In Austria a cross-financing scheme is in place for the toll collected on the A13 motorway between Innsbruck and Brenner. The scheme has been approved by the Eurovignette Committee for a period of 65 years. Also on the A12 between the German border and Innsbruck a toll collection system applies. In order to increase the cross-financing revenues Austria started in 2012 to apply a mark-up on the A12. In the first year, the mark-up was 10%. It is being gradually increased until it reaches the 25% in 2015.

Germany

In 2005, Germany introduced the Toll Collect system, a satellite based tolling system for heavy goods vehicles over 12 tons, which use federal motorways and selected national roads. Over the last eight years Toll Collect has transferred around €30 billion toll income to the Federal German Government. 50% of the revenues are to be used to finance infrastructure investments of railways and inland waterways. However, there is no earmarking for specific projects.

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2.4.3. EU commitments

The financial commitment of the EU to Priority Project 1 is based on individual Decisions adopted by the Commission and approved by the European Parliament and the Member States.

In 2008, the Commission adopted five Decisions. Two Decisions concern the Brenner Base Tunnel project. The first Decision covered studies, including access and exploratory tunnels. This project was supported by a TEN-T budget of €193 million at a co-financing rate of 50%. The second Decision covered tunnel works. For this project a total amount of €593 million of EU co-funding was to be invested at a co-financing rate of 27%. The other three decisions were taken on the Lower Inn Valley line (€58 million), the southern access route (€58) and the Halle/Leipzig - Erfurt bottleneck (€57 million).

Overall, the EU committed over €960 million to Priority Project 1 in 2008 which corresponds to almost 20% of the total TEN-T budget for the financial perspective 2007-2013. Within this budget the Brenner Corridor accounted for 93% of the total, confirming its strategic importance.

In 2010, the Commission, in cooperation with the TEN-T Executive Agency, carried out a Mid-Term Review of the 2007-2013 multi-annual work programme. The review made clear that the measures taken by the EU, including the appointment of European Coordinators, the increased programme resources and the increased co-funding rates, in particular for cross-border sections, have had a stimulating effect on the implementation of the trans-European Transport network. However, the review also revealed that EU co-funds could not be fully consumed due to delays in the planning and construction of the projects. Consequently, it was decided to amend funding decisions accordingly.

During this reporting period the results of the mid-term review have been re-assessed. In order to optimise EU co-funding, the European Commission, in cooperation with the TEN-T executive agency, Member States and the project promoters analysed the funding decisions, including the BBT studies and works decisions. The studies decision (€193 million) will be fully consumed by end 2013. As regards the BBT works decision it was concluded that due to delays mainly caused by the authorisation process it would not be possible to fully use the budget. Consequently, it was decided to extend the eligibility period until 2015 and EU co-funding was reduced from €593 million to €151 million. Subsequently under the 2012 TEN-T multi-annual call Italy and Austria successfully submitted a joint proposal to amend the BBT works decision to recover part of the funds. The EU will grant €85 million (50% co-funding rate) to the BBT project for study activities throughout 2014 and 2015. A further €17 million will be granted to on-going works increasing the TEN-T co-funding rate from 27% to 30%.

The 2010 Mid-Term Review also has affected the level of EU co-funding for the four main lots of the southern access route. Given the delays in the planning process, the TEN-T contribution was reduced to €47.5 million and in a second stage further reduced to €25 million. Furthermore, lots 2 (Bolzano Bypass) and 3 (Trento Bypass) were removed from the funding decision. Under the 2012 TEN-T multi-annual call Italy submitted a proposal for increased co-funding from 5% to 20% for works on one of the sub-lots of lot 1 (Fortezza - Ponte Gardena). This proposal has been selected resulting in an additional TEN-T contribution of €5,5 million.

The 2012 TEN-T multi-annual call also selected two proposals focusing on the northern access routes. The first proposal, submitted by Germany and Austria, is for a pre-study of the cross-border route of the northern access route between Munich and Radfeld. This pre-study will receive €3.3 million TEN-T co-funding.

European Commission


2.5. Cooperation frameworks

2.5.1. Austria-Italy Intergovernmental Commission (CIG)

The Austria-Italy Intergovernmental Commission met twice during this reporting period: on 19 October 2012 in Bolzano and on 7 May 2013 in Vienna. In 2013, Austria took over the CIG presidency from Italy.

The CIG meetings mainly serve to announce important decisions taken at national level and to exchange information on actual developments. The meetings in 2012 and 2013 served to give Italy and Austria the opportunity to confirm their medium term financial commitments for the Brenner Base Tunnel: Austria €1545 million until 2018 and Italy €638 million until 2015. The Coordinator, who attends the CIG meetings in an observer capacity, profited from these meetings to update members on the latest developments concerning the TEN-T revision process and the multiannual financial framework.

2.5.2. Brenner Corridor Platform

2012/2013 has been an important period of transition for the Brenner Corridor Platform (BCP). At the BCP plenary meeting of 5 July 2012 the following conclusions regarding the organisation and functioning of the platform were drawn:

• Given the overlapping themes the different working groups shall be clustered;

• The cooperation with Rail Freight Corridor 3 shall be reinforced;

• The BCP Working Groups shall use the intranet tool which has been specifically developed for the BCP;

• Priority actions shall be determined by the Brenner Action Plan.

With regard to these conclusions, taking into account measure No. 50 of the Brenner Action Plan, which stipulates that the Action Plan shall be reviewed in 2013, and in anticipation of the revision of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), the Coordinator made a number of suggestions to optimise the organisational structure and the functioning of the BCP.

His suggestions were reflected in a BCP Vision Paper, which was discussed at several meetings, first separately with the chairpersons of the working groups and later in the BCP plenary meeting.

In order to optimise the organisational structure, the number of working groups has been reduced from 10 to 6 and divided into 3 thematic clusters:

1. A technical cluster, consisting of the WG Infrastructure and WG Terminals;

2. A policy cluster, consisting of the WG Accompanying Measures;

3. An environmental cluster, consisting of a WG Environment.

In view of the future cooperation within the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor it was also decided to integrate the WG Interoperability in the structure of Rail Freight Corridor 3. Furthermore, the WG Communication will be positioned to assist the three Working Group clusters.

Since there will less working groups the mandate of each group will be wider as regards its range of tasks. It is important that the working groups, and in particular their chairpersons, be able to rely on appropriate administrative assistance. To this end, the project promoter of the Brenner Base Tunnel, BBT SE, will be entrusted to provide assistance where and whenever necessary.

A number of key actions of the Brenner Action Plan 2009 (BAP) have been completed, including the opening of the Lower Inn Valley line in 2012, the completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Brenner Base Tunnel and the signing of the agreement between Austria and Germany on the upgrading of the northern access route.

European Commission


Other actions, such as traffic forecasts, require continuous monitoring. Moreover, new actions shall have to be included in the BAP, for example Green corridor measures. In order to accommodate all these developments the BAP includes a revision clause. According to this clause the first revision is foreseen to take place in 2013.

Under the motto "to reinforce rail" the Action Community Brennerbahn (see par. 2.5.3) will make a first assessment of the BAP measures. Once the first results of the assessment are known a meeting will be organised between AGB and the BCP working groups who are responsible for the implementation of the BAP measures. On the basis of this assessment, the BCP working groups shall each develop their work programmes which shall be presented at a special BCP plenary in November 2013.

With the updated structure and organisation the BCP will be able to maintain its strategic role in the future as a key player in the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor and as a potential model or template for future corridor structures.

2.5.3. Aktionsgemeinschaft Brennerbahn – Comunità d'azione ferrovia del Brennero

In the Aktionsgemeinschaft Brennerbahn - Comunità d'azione ferrovia del Brennero(AGB-CAB) the provinces and regions along the Brenner Corridor cooperate with the Chambers of Commerce of Bavaria, Tyrol, Bolzano, Trento and Verona. The AGB-CAB focuses on improving rail traffic between Munich and Verona, both in its current and future setting to the benefit of the population and industry along the Brenner Corridor.

Under South-Tyrolean Presidency in 2011/2012, the AGB-CAB commissioned a study on the economic benefits of the Brenner corridor project to the Chamber of Commerce of Bolzano. The results of this study were presented at the AGB-CAB President's conference on 13 November 2012 in Bolzano in the presence of the Coordinator:

• The Brenner Base Tunnel, with an additional capacity of about 300 trains a day, can create the conditions to make a modal shift possible and markedly reduce heavy traffic on the road system

• The stimulus from construction investments will generate €15 billion in added value in Italy and Austria. As for employment, the stimulus will create demand for about 200,500 jobs during the entire construction phase, 116,600 of which in Italy and 83,800 in Austria

• The investment stimulus will also have an extremely positive effect on the local economy in those regions where the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access route are being built. From 2007 to 2025, the cumulative gross added value in South Tyrol will reach €1.92 billion; in Tyrol the gross added value will be €1.54 billion

• The economic effects in the operational phase are mostly due to the influence of the Brenner Base Tunnel on transport demand. The railway line will be shortened by 21 km and thereby markedly lessen travel time for passengers and freight traffic. Slopes are reduced, eliminating the need for multiple locomotives and doubling the amount of goods that can be carried

In 2013 the Austrian land of Tyrol took over the Presidency for the next period of two years. The objectives of the Tyrolean Presidency were explained at a meeting of the Working Committee on 20 March 2013. Under the motto "To strengthen rail" AGB-CAB will make a first assessment of the Brenner Action Plan. The assessment will lead to recommendations which will be discussed with the working groups of the Brenner Corridor Platform, who shall use them to review the Brenner Action Plan (see para. 2.5.2). A second objective is to strengthen the communication and information policy towards the local public.

European Commission


2.5.4. Alpine Convention

On 10 June 2013, the Council approved on behalf of the European Union the ratification of the Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention3. The Coordinator has played a key role in the ratification process. First, he actively supported the ratification process in Italy. Subsequently the Italian ratification opened the way to achieving the EU ratification under Irish Presidency. By its ratification on behalf of the EU the Transport Protocol has entered into force and has become European Law. The Transport Protocol is an important instrument to protect the sensitive alpine environment and to promote sustainable mobility in the Alps. Furthermore, the entry into force of the protocol is an important step towards improved international coordination and management of trans-alpine transport; it strongly supports modal shift, in particular by promoting alternative modes of transport to road, especially for freight transport. Moreover, it provides a framework for accompanying measures to complement existing, new and upgraded transport infrastructure and contributes to lessening the fragmentation of pan Alpine transport policy.

2.6. Activities of the Coordinator

Besides the regular activities, missions are an important part of the work of the coordinator. Below an overview of the missions undertaken during this reporting period:

• 19 October 2012, Bolzano: CIG meeting, visit the BBT info point in Fortezza and the construction site in Mules. Main subjects: financial commitments to the Brenner Base Tunnel from Austria and Italy, optimisation of the EU co-funding for the Brenner Base tunnel, ratification of the Alpine Convention's Transport Protocol;

• 12 November 2012, Innsbruck: meeting Secretary-General Mr Onida of the Alpine Convention. Main subject: ratification of the Transport Protocol;

• 13 November, Bolzano/Trento: Presidents' conference of the Action Community Brennerbahn (AGB-CAB) and separate meetings with Dr Ebner (Chamber of Commerce, South Tyrol), Dr Huber (BBT Observatory), Governors Durnwalder (Bolzano) and Pacher (Trento) and with the mayors of the Trentino part of the Brenner Corridor. Main subjects: AGB-CAB report on the economic benefits of the construction and operation of the Brenner Base Tunnel, A22 cross-financing, local communication on BBT and Southern Access;

• 14 November, Rome: Meeting President Fini (Camera dei Deputati), Prof. Cardia and Mr Moretti (Ferrovia dello Stato) and site visit Rome Tiburtina Railway station project. Main subject: ratification Transport Protocol, A22 cross-financing, TEN-T revision;

• 26 November 2012, Innsbruck: attending the official opening ceremony of the Lower Inn Valley Line as the official representative of the EU. Main subjects: development of the northern access between Kundl and Baumkirchen;

• 20 February 2013, Innsbruck: tunnel workshop and site visit to the BBT construction sites in company of Coordinator Brinkhorst. Main subject: best practices in European rail infrastructure projects, with special emphasis on cross-border tunnel projects;

• 21 February 2013, Bolzano: Brenner Congress. Main subject: key note speech on BBT project and the new core network corridor Helsinki-Valetta;

• 22 March 2013, Brussels: preparatory meeting with the WG Chairpersons of the Brenner Corridor Platform. Main subject: new structure of the BCP;

• 10 April 2013, Brussels: meeting with a delegation of the Rail Baltica project. Main subject: setting up of a cross-border infrastructure project organisation;

3 Council Decision of 10 June 2013 on the conclusion on behalf of the European union of the Protocol on the

implementation of the 1991 Alpine Convention in the field of transport (Transport Protocol), OJ L 177, 28.6.2013, p. 13.

European Commission


• 7 May 2013, Vienna: CIG meeting and meeting with Secretary-General Kasser of the Austrian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. Main subjects: financial commitments to Brenner Base Tunnel by Austria and Italy, reorganisation of the Brenner Corridor Platform, TEN-T revision;

• 3 June 2013, Mules, Innsbruck: Informal meeting with Italian Members of Parliament from South Tyrol at the Mules construction site, Brenner Corridor Platform plenary meeting. Main subjects: TEN-T revision process, Italy's financial commitment to BBT construction lots, new BCP structure, global assessment of the BAP;

• 20-21 June 2013, Berchtesgaden: Meeting of the Ministers of Transport of the Alpine countries (Zurich Process Follow Up). Main subject: Alpine transport policy.

Blasting operations in the tunnel

European Commission


3. COORDINATOR'S MANDATE 2010-2013

At the outset of his mandate in 2010, the Coordinator chose four fields of activity on which to focus his attention:

• Securing long-term financial commitments necessary for the realisation of the Brenner Base Tunnel and its access routes;

• Encouraging cross-financing schemes essential to financing the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access;

• Adoption of a comprehensive framework of accompanying measures;

• Developing the Brenner Green Corridor idea by enhanced emphasis on energy and environmental matters as a demonstration of best practice.

In 2011 the Coordinator added as a special priority making progress on the planning, construction and financing of the northern and southern access route.

In 2012 the Coordinator's priority list was further extended with the priority to enable a smooth transition from the current Priority Project 1, the high capacity rail axis Berlin-Palermo, to the new multi-modal Core Network Corridor which will connect Scandinavia with the Mediterranean area.

All priorities set by the Coordinator require long-term commitment and planning that engages and commits all key stakeholders including the EU, Member States, regions, rail infrastructure managers, transport operators, industry and not least local host communities. Progress has and is being made across the range of priorities.

The most important achievement of his first mandate has been the agreement reached by Austria and Italy on 18 April 2011 on the total costs of the Brenner Base Tunnel project. This agreement marked a 'point of no return' for the project and paved the way for the start of the main construction works for the base tunnel, the so-called phase III, to be carried out by the project promoter BBT SE.

Work is currently underway on access tunnels and on the exploratory tunnel. Work on the construction of the two main tunnel tubes has also started, in particular at the Periadriatic seam in Mules and on the Innsbruck by-pass. In July 2013 the BBT SE Supervisory Board approved the construction of three other lots (the Eisack river underpass, the Tulfes-Pfons section and the Steinach section) with a total budget commitment of almost €1 billion. These decisions ensure that this major infrastructure project will continue to progress in the coming years.

By June 2013, 27 km of tunnels, including 1.4 km of the main tubes, had been excavated, representing more than 10 % of the whole tunnel system (more than 200 km in total). This progress could not have been achieved without the political and financial commitments of Italy, Austria and the European Union.

After the agreement on the total costs of the Brenner Base Tunnel and following the TEN-T mid-term review of October 2010, the two EU co-funding decision relating to the Brenner Base Tunnel (studies - € 193 million and works - € 593 million) have been re-assessed and partly adapted. Following this assessment, Italy and Austria submitted under the 2012 multi-annual call a new proposal extending the BBT study activities and a proposal to amend the BBT works decision, in order to re-use part of the recovered budget for BBT activities. Both proposals have been accepted. For the continuation of the study activities throughout 2014 and 2015 the EU will grant € 85 million (50%) to the BBT project. € 17 million will be granted to the on-going works decision, thereby increasing the TEN-T co-funding rate from the current 27% to 30%.

Despite the fact that Italy and Austria have had to undergo strict austerity programmes, both countries committed significant additional funding for the Brenner Base Tunnel during 2012/2013. Austria committed €1545 million for the Brenner Base Tunnel until 2018. Italy approved a budget of €638 million for the base tunnel. With these commitments the future of the project is secured.

European Commission


Also as regards the access routes the Coordinator can report important progress. The official opening of the Lower Inn Valley line on 26 November 2012 has been a major milestone for the development of the northern access route and an important step towards eliminating the Brenner Corridor bottleneck. The new line consists of 34 kilometres of tunnels. It went into full operation on 9 December 2012.

However, it has to be noted that the development of the part north of the Lower Inn Valley, the cross-border part between Munich and Kiefersfelden, is still at a very early stage. On 15 June 2012, the German minister for infrastructure, Mr Ramsauer, and the Austrian minister for infrastructure, Mrs Bures, signed an inter-ministerial agreement for the upgrading of the cross-border rail connection between Munich and Innsbruck. The agreement confirms the need for a transparent and extensive planning dialogue, involving all key stakeholders and a clear communication policy. To date one information event to launch the information campaign has taken place on 15 January 2013.

Meanwhile, DB Netz and ÖBB Infra continue working on the design options. In June 2013, the Commission awarded a pre-study on the alignment between Munich (DE) and Radfeld (AT) with €3.4 million EU co-funding.

The Coordinator will continue to stress the need to take concrete decisions on the alignment and planning and on the need for financial commitments at member state level all necessary to secure EU co-funding. The northern access route between Munich and Kiefersfelden will remain one of the top priorities of the Coordinator in the new setting of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor.

The development of the southern access is advancing, in particular as regards Lot 1, the most crucial section between Fortezza – Ponte Gardena. On 21 June 2013, the Italian Parliament approved a Decree which includes a financial commitment for the southern access route of €120 million per year for the period between 2015 and 2024.

On Lot 1 the final design will start soon, following the approval by the Court of Auditors on 14 May 2013. After the completion of the planning phase main construction works are expected to start in 2016/2017.

As for the other construction lots progress is less visible. Nevertheless, on 19 July 2013 CIPE allocated an amount of €70 million for Lot 3 (Trento bypass) and for Lot 4 (access to Verona) a final agreement on the alignment and characteristics of the line is about to be finalised.

The Coordinator will continue to follow the developments on the southern access route closely.

Of major importance for the financing of the Brenner Base Tunnel and its access routes is the availability of cross-financing mechanisms. In Italy, a part of the base tunnel and the access route will be financed from the road toll revenues collected by the A22 motorway concession, the so-called Railway fund. By 2014 this fund will have collected €550 million. Also in the future, after the expiry of the current motorway concession, this cross-financing scheme will continue with contributions not less than the average payment per year under the current concession, i.e. €34 million. Over a concession period of 50 years this would lead to a total amount reserved for the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access of approximately €1.5 billion.

Austria applies toll system on the A12 and A13 motorway between Kufstein-Innsbruck-Brenner to partly cross-finance the Brenner Base Tunnel. In order to increase the cross-financing revenues Austria decided early in 2012 to gradually extend its scheme by introducing a 25% mark-up by 2015.

The Coordinator constantly has underlined the necessity to develop a framework of flanking policy measures to complement and accompany the construction phase of the infrastructure. These accompanying measures cover areas such as environmental protection, cross-financing mechanisms, internalisation of external costs and, for example, excise taxation and fuel pricing. Also the development of the Green Corridor concept is an integral part of this framework of accompanying measures. All these measures will have their impact on modal choice and corridor selection over time.

European Commission


The development of a comprehensive framework of accompanying measures can benefit from the ratification of the Transport Protocol of the Alpine Convention by Italy in 2012 and later by the European Union on 10 June 2013. In both ratification processes the Coordinator played a vital role, through dialogue with Italian governmental and parliamentary authorities and with the EU Council Presidency, emphasising the importance of this Protocol for a sustainable Alpine transport policy. The Transport Protocol offers Alpine countries a template for taking policy measures which protect their sensitive environment and, at the same time, promotes mobility in the Alps. Such measures should be developed in parallel with the construction or upgrading of modern transport infrastructure like the Brenner Base Tunnel. In particular, these measures can assist and encourage modal shift from road to rail.

A pan-Alpine development of accompanying measures can help to lessen the fragmentation of transport policies. In particular, it will prevent road transport operators from choosing a corridor because of specific advantages ("corridor shopping"). In this context, the Brenner Corridor Platform plays an important role. With its Working Groups it is responsible for the implementation of the Brenner Action Plan, a plan which contains 50 measures aiming to ensure an integrated policy approach for the Brenner Corridor, but one which also can have a positive effect on the Alpine region as a whole. In 2013 the Brenner Action Plan will be subject to a review. In the light of this upcoming review and also in anticipation of the new Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), the Coordinator proposed a number of changes to improve the organisation and functioning of the Brenner Corridor Platform. The number of working groups has been reduced and each Working Group has been assigned more competences, including the Working Group Accompanying Measures and the Working Group Environment. In its new setting the Brenner Corridor Platform should be able to continue playing an important role in the new core network corridor structure as the platform dealing with what remains one of the most important cross-border corridors in the Trans-European Transport Network.

European Commission


4. OUTLOOK

The forthcoming entry into force of the new TEN-T Guidelines and the accompanying Connecting Europe Facility will have a significant impact on the current Priority Project 1. In fact, as of 2014 the high capacity rail axis Berlin-Palermo will become an integral part of the new Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor. This transition will not only extend the geographical scope of the project but also the number and type of players will change.

The Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor starts in the east from the Finnish-Russian border and in the west from Oslo and goes via Helsinki, Stockholm and Malmö to the European mainland. There it continues via the German seaports of Hamburg and Rostock, following Germany’s major traffic flows in the west via Hannover and in the east, via Berlin and Leipzig. The eastern and western sections come together in Nuremberg and continue to the south via Munich, following the Brenner Corridor to Verona. In Italy, the corridor continues via Bologna, Rome and Naples, with branches to the ports of La Spezia, Livorno, Ravenna, Ancona, Naples, Bari, Taranto, Gioia Tauro and Augusta, before going to Palermo. The last section connects Sicily with Malta via Motorways of the Sea.

Although the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor is based in part on a series of Priority Projects (1, 11, 12 and 20), ERTMS corridor B and Rail Freight Corridor 3 which are all rail-related projects, the new corridor will have to be developed as a multi-modal transport infrastructure project linking the major urban centres in Germany and Italy to Scandinavia and the Mediterranean via rail, road and Motorways of the Sea. Consequently, both new players and new complexities will add to the challenges. Interconnections with Scandinavian, German and Mediterranean ports have to be developed. Also cross-border operational systems, such as ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) for rail and ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) for road have to be developed and implemented.

Also in terms of bottleneck sections, the project scope will be extended. Whereas in Priority Project 1 the Brenner Corridor constituted the single main bottleneck, the new corridor will add the Fehmarn Belt crossing between Germany and Denmark and its access routes as a major cross-border section.

The new Core Network Corridor approach requires a different strategy, both in terms of coordination and funding. The major challenges for the Coordinator will be to bring together all stakeholders and to lead them to tangible results and, in parallel, to provide adequate co-funding to accommodate progress of the various projects.

As regards the coordination and governance of the Core Network Corridor, the Coordinator will have to focus his attention in the next reporting period on the following tasks: First, the Coordinator has to draw up a corridor work plan within one year after the entry into force of the TEN-T Guidelines. This plan shall include a description of the situation, a market study, objectives, a programme of measures, an implementation plan and an investment plan. The Work Plan will have to be approved by the Member States. The Coordinator will also have to establish and chair a consultative forum (Corridor Forum), which will be composed of Member States and other relevant public and private stakeholders, including infrastructure managers and users, along the entire Core Network Corridor. Special attention also has to be given to the cooperation with Rail Freight Corridor 3. Finally, the Coordinator wishes to underline that in order to be able to concentrate on the main tasks, it is important that the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor is supported by a Secretariat which takes care of the organisation and implementation of its activities.

Given the wider, deeper and more complex objectives of future EU transport infrastructure policy and having regard to the extent of their temporal (core networks to be realised by 2030), territorial (28 member states) and multi-modal (road, rail, river, air, sea) spread and ambitions, the availability of a €23 billion TEN-T budget 2014-2020 (of which €10 billion is reserved for projects covered by Cohesion policy) though impressive is limited. This will require prioritisation in the allocation of funds and suggests the need to focus on projects of the highest European added value and in particular on cross border projects capable of realisation.

European Commission


As regards future project financing the Coordinator looks forward to exploring the possibilities of using innovative financial instruments, in line with the objectives of the Connecting Europe Facility.

Last but not least the Coordinator wishes to underline the importance of communications policy for projects such as the Brenner Base Tunnel and the Fehmarn Belt Fixed link. A clear lesson observable from other long-term infrastructure investments is that the political parentage of a project even when it is strong at the outset risks to decline with the passage of time. When such projects finally pass from conception to construction, which takes time, the original promoters politically or literally may have passed on. The outcome of strategic long term projects such as ours depends no less on coherent and constant communications than it does on planning, design and engineering. This is a dimension that cannot be left to chance. Stakeholder engagement and regular and open flows of information create ownership. Therefore, from the start of his mandate the Coordinator has invested time and effort in meeting as many project stakeholders as possible. Meetings have been organised with the mayors of all the municipalities along the Brenner Corridor, with members of parliament and also with objectors.

For national and regional administrations also it is important to set up communications with stakeholders. The province of Bolzano, for example, has set up an Observatory for the construction of the Brenner Base Tunnel in which the province, the project promoter – BBT SE- and representatives of district communities participate. The Observatory operates independently of the BBT SE and examines all steps of the construction process. The aim is to minimise the impact on people and the environment as much as possible but also to inform. In a similar manner, the Italian government has appointed a Coordinator for the Brenner Base Tunnel and the southern access route.

This has been a challenging first mandate as Coordinator but one that illustrates austerity and complexity notwithstanding, that steady progress can and has been made. During this period it has been encouraging to witness the commitment of committee members of the Committee on Transport and Tourism to further developing and deepening the EU’s TEN-T policies and the wider support this has generated in the European Parliament for these initiatives. In particular the Coordinator wishes to acknowledge and thank you for the support of Parliament for the continued role of coordinators as vital representatives of the European interest in the evolution and management of TEN-T policy.

Priority Project No 1 OCTOBER 2013Railway axis Berlin-Verona/Milan-Bologna-Naples-Messina-PalermoTrans-European transport network. Achievement of the Priority projects

Completed

Completed in 2011

Works ongoing

Works to start between 2010 and 2013

Works to start after 2013

Completion Date

Priority sections

Priority Project No 1 OCTOBER 2013Railway axis Berlin-Verona/Milan-Bologna-Naples-Messina-PalermoTrans-European transport network. Achievement of the Priority projects

Contact details:European Commission - Directorate General for Mobility and TransportDirectorate B - European Mobility NetworkUnit B.1 – Trans-European Networks and Investment StrategySector B.1.001 – Open Method of Coordination: TENtec & Innovationhttp://ec.europa.eu/transportTrans-European Transport Network Executive AgencyT0 – Office of the Executive Director, Information & Communication DepartmentT4 – Technical & Financial Engineering, GIS & Monitoringhttp://tentea.ec.europa.eu

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