Thursday, July 12, 2007

Major Plan Unveiled- 27 Italy-Europe Hi Speed Rail Links, Next Milan to Lyon

The ANNOTICO Report

 

I have already Reported (June 16) where Italy and SWITZERLAND opened the Loetschberg Tunnel on the route from Berne to Visp, and the world's longest overland tunnel, a 21-mile-long rail link under the Alps, dug parallel to  the 36-mile Gotthard Tunnel, which will be the world's longest when it is completed in 2017, ........ and my Report (July 10) on The Brenner Tunnel between Italy and AUSTRIA, of 39 miles, near Innsbruck ? with completion due in 2022.

 

Now, Italy has announced a proposed high-speed railway link between Turin, Italy  and Lyon, FRANCE is one of a series of crossborder rail projects for which he plans to seek EU funding. The plans will require a long tunnel through the Alps. Lyon, together with its suburbs and satellite towns,forms the second largest metropolitan area in France after Paris, and is a major centre of business, situated between Paris and Marseille.

 

Also proposed is a rail link from Trieste, Italy  to Divaca, SLOVENIA 

 

Italian infrastructure minister Antonio Di Pietro speaking at a Conference revealed his list for EU funding that includes 4 international projects as well as 23 national projects which qualify because they support crossborder links.

 

Interestingly, a rail link from Milan to the port of Genoa qualifies as an International link,

 

These new rail links are HIGH SPEED, and therefore will supplant/supplement previous rail links/tunnels that can support only slower trains, that labor over great elevation changes, and navigate challenging curves.

 

It is encouraging to see such aggressive planning on the part of Italy, to facilitate transportation for both Imports and Exports to/through all four bordering countries.

 

 

Italy to seek EU funding for Turin-Lyon high-speed railway line

 

Forbes Magazine

From Thomson Financial

July 12, 2007

ROME - Italian infrastructure minister Antonio Di Pietro said a planned high-speed railway link between Turin and Lyon is one of a series of crossborder rail projects for which he plans to seek EU funding.

The high-speed rail link between Turin and Lyon has faced extensive opposition from local residents and environmental groups, particularly the plans to build a long tunnel through the Alps.

'Next Wednesday I have a meeting with EU transport commissioner Jacques Barot when I will file a series of rail projects for EU funding, and not just the new Brenner Pass link,' Di Pietro said.

Earlier this week, Di Pietro agreed with Austrian authorities on the launch of a new crossborder link via the Brenner Pass to Austria.

Confirming the inclusion of the Turin-Lyon link in the EU project list, Di Pietro said the route for the railway link has yet to be finalised.

The list of projects also includes a rail link with Slovenia.

Speaking at an infrastructure conference, Di Pietro said Italy must overcome opposition from local groups and politicians to get new infrastructure in place.

In further details, infrastructure ministry officials said its list for EU funding includes 4 international projects as well as 23 national projects which qualify because they support crossborder links.

The 4 international projects are the Turin-Lyons link, a high-speed rail tunnel under the Brenner Pass, a rail link from Trieste to Divaca in Slovenia and another rail link from Milan to the port of Genoa which qualifies as an international link, the officials said.

The request for EU funding amounts to 1.2 bln eur for the international projects and 2.4 bln for the national ones, they said, adding the overall investment for the 27 projects is seen at 11 bln.

These requests for EU co-funding compare to the 8 bln eur available in EU coffers for international projects and a similar sum for national ones, all of which must be spread across all 27 member states.

On the Brenner Tunnel, the officials said the EU's crossborder infrastructure czar Karel Van Miert said this is a very good project and should get the maximum 30 pct EU funding of about 1 bln eur, half to Austria and half to Italy.

Exploratory tunnels for the Brenner link have started but the full works are only scheduled to begin in 2010, they said.

This rail tunnel is likely to be considerably longer than the present fairly short road tunnel at Brenner because high-speed trains cannot climb very steep hills, they said.

stephen.jewkes@thomson.com

 

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:

Italia USA: http://www.ItaliaUSA.com [Formerly Italy at St Louis] (7 years)

Italia Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com (3 years)

Annotico Email: annotico@earthlink.net