Brussels, 10/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - FERRMED is a non-profit and non-political association created in August 2004 in Brussels with a view to promoting rail freight transport along the corridor that starts at Duisberg, links the main internal ports and the North Sea, descends the Rhine-Rhone valley and joins the Mediterranean ports of Marseilles and Algeciras.
The study was carried out by experts of CENIT, the CERDA institute, SIGMA Conseil, FRAES, SENER and the University of Lyons, and aims to demonstrate the need and the relevance of developing a railway axis in this corridor where 90 million people live, i.e. 20% of the European population, and which represents 21% of the EU's GNP. The railway would provide a solution adapted to the socio-economic characteristics and the topography of this route, in order to remedy problems of congestion linked to the rise in traffic on this itinerary. Furthermore, trade along this axis has a far greater indirect impact on 230 million inhabitants (51% of the population of Europe), 61% of the EU's GNP and even beyond on 60 million inhabitants of North Africa. According to Rudi Thomaes, a leader of the Fédération des enterprises de Belgique, the development of the rail axis is a key factor for the internal market and cohesion and constitutes a major stake for the energy and transport sectors. Jacques Talmier, who represents the Languedoc-Roussillon regional chamber of commerce and industry, confirmed his support for FERRMED saying that “it is an essential project for industry and the development of our region (…) that the local and regional actors are taking increasingly into consideration”.
The promotion of rail freight transport is found to be consistent with European transport policy as it improves the competitiveness of companies, ports and regions in Europe by providing an alternative and sustainable solution to road transport, as well as encouraging interoperability and transnational projects. The supporters of the project consider therefore that the axis should receive financial support from the EU, although the Council and Parliament had already designated 30 priority projects on 29 April 2004.
The gathering - composed of representatives from European institutions, European associations and transport companies - stressed, moreover, that the cost of such a project had not yet been assessed. Jacinto Segui, President of the FERRMED association, replied that an estimate of investment costs would be made later after a more detailed analysis of the existing infrastructure and of the changes to be made.