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If we want a competitive Europe which creates jobs, then people and goods have to be able

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to move around easily and quickly, and without harming the environment.

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That's the aim of the Trans-European Transport Network, a huge continental-scale programme

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that will interconnect the national transport infrastructures to create a genuine Trans-European Network.

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Although initiated at the beginning of the 90s, the Trans-European Transport Network

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has not yet attained its ambitious goals. It's run into financing problems and difficulties

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with cross-border coordination.

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Meanwhile, road traffic in Europe is constantly on the rise. However, solutions exist. Goods

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transported by road today can be switched to other, less polluting means of transport,

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such as rail, waterways or sea transport. This is referred to as modal transfer, or

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moving from one mode of transport to another that is less used. This solution is strongly

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encouraged by Europe.

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The day you have a freight train that doesn't take more time to go from Madrid to Warsaw

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than a truck, you can offer a real alternative. You can combine a long-distance rail that

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consumes less energy and is more environmentally friendly, with the truck's always-useful

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service, to ensure the deserts that the rail can't ensure.

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In this context, rail offers important potential for easing traffic on major Trans-European

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roads. That's why the European Union wants to reinvigorate Trans-European railway projects.

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It's identified five fundamental railway axes where progress is not being made quickly enough

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due to difficulties of various kinds.

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The five railway axes are the following.