Von der Leyen wants “transport union” and points out Lisbon-Madrid challenge

“Our infrastructure must adapt to a climate of change and a more unstable world. It is the continent itself that is changing as new countries approach our Union. So keeping what we have isn't enough. We need to build the transport system for the coming decades. I think it is time to build a real transport union,” said European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, who spoke in Brussels about Connecting Europe Days.

As you pointed out, the trans-European transport network needs to be implemented, namely a network of railways, waterways and roads linking ports and terminals, “eliminating bottlenecks between Member States”.

For Von der Leyen, what is on the table is the transformation of 27 national systems into a single ‘truely European’ network, a work that he said is already under way.

“ See Lisbon-Madrid. Every day, about 40 flights connect these two capitals, which are just over 600 kilometres away from each other,” he said, saying that this is partly due to the fact that there is currently no direct train between the two cities.

However, he stressed that this reality is changing with the construction of a high-speed line that will allow passengers to travel between Lisbon and Madrid in 2030 in five hours and by 2034 in about three hours.

According to Brussels estimates, the construction of a European transport network can increase Europe’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2.4% by 2030, equivalent to EUR 467,000 million.

“ I call on all of you to continue the good work and complete the network, as planned ", he said.

The Connecting Europe Days, which run until 1 October, bringing together politicians, representatives of the transport sector, industry and the European Commission, aim to put the debate on measures and best practices for a safer, more sustainable and competitive transport sector in Europe.