civity study on options for further development of EU high speed rail network is finalised
Design speeds for many planned EU high speed corridors have not yet been determined. System economic analysis is used in the study to assess development options and to identify conditions where each is preferable.
With policy ambitions on the one hand and funding restrictions on the other, decisions regarding new rail corridor investments require a strong economic foundation and careful review of potential investment options. The purpose of this study, prepared for SNCF and Alstom and presented to members of the European Parliament and the European Commission, is to support such critical decision-making for high speed rail corridor investments and upgrades.
Three investment options were considered: construction of a new very high speed line (300+ km/h), a new medium high speed line (250 km/h) and the upgrade of a conventional line (200 km/h). Conclusions regarding the selection of options were developed through a full system economic analysis and a subsequent sensitivity analysis.