These days, competitiveness is on everyone’s lips. Policymakers and politicians are asking themselves: How do we boost it? Our sector has (part of) the answer: Invest more and better in transport.

• Do we want to increase our prosperity?
• Do we want to shockproof our supply chains?
• Do we want to achieve our climate objectives?
• Do we want to ramp up our security and defence?
• Do we want to improve territorial connectivity and cohesion?
• Do we want to expand our internal and external trade?

No matter how we look at the problem, (rail) transport is part of the solution.

Fulfilling transport’s full economic potential, however, will come at a hefty price. As the EU Coordinators pointed out in their joint position paper last year, estimates show that around €845 billion will be needed in the next 15 years to complete the TEN-T – not to mention any additional investment costs required to maintain it and make it climate resilient.

This is why 45 leading European transport organisations, many of which we cooperate with – STRING, Scandria Alliance, CER (Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies), EIM (European Rail Infrastructure Managers), UIRR, ERFA (European Rail Freight Association) – have issued an open letter to the Council of the EU stressing the importance of allocating enough transport funding in the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework.

We share their concern and trust that their plea will not fall on deaf ears. EU transport funding can make a real difference in restarting Europe’s engine.

To read the open letter, click here.