Europe is equipped with a dense network of inland transport infrastructure. In the recent decades, new roads, railways and airports have been built all over the continent. However, during the recent decades closings of railway lines have also been realised.
In the project "Development of Transport Infrastructure in Europe", researchers are studying the development of road and rail transport since 1995 in the EU-27, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.Against this background, the report "Development of Transport Infrastructure in Europe: Exploring the shrinking and expansion of railways, motorways and airports" discusses the following three research questions:
- Which are the transport infrastructure investment priorities in Europe?
- How has transport infrastructure developed over the last decades and to what extent interrelates this supply with actual demand for mobility by car and by train?
- How has railway infrastructure developed in Europe over the recent decades?
With respect to rail infrastructure, it finds expansion of high-speed rail sections in many countries, but also a significant reduction of regional train lines and small train stations.
The findings are discussed in the context of the recent debate about mobility poverty: The EU’s new Social Climate Fund shall support European citizens most affected or at risk of mobility poverty. How can transport infrastructure be further developed to reduce mobility poverty? The researchers concluded this question with policy recommendations about how budgetary priorities for roads and railways should be shaped for the near future.