North West England electrification, rail freight upgrades between Southampton Port and the West Coast Mainline and removing a bottleneck between Coleraine and Derry are among a number of projects which have been highlighted by the EU for investment.
The European Commission has selected 74 projects across the continent that will receive almost €200 million in EU co-financing from the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) programme to continue improving transport infrastructure across the EU.
More than €15 million has been set aside for rail infrastructure projects in the UK.
Around €12 million will be spent extending Austria’s high-speed network, another €12 million will go towards improving traffic management and efficiency on Italy’s railways, and almost €5 million will support Sweden’s West Link rail tunnel project in Gothenburg.
Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: “The European Commission continues to support the construction and upgrade of European transport infrastructure to ensure its citizens can reap the benefits of a complete, safe and modern network.
“Moreover, the almost €200 million made available today will also help to support employment in the EU by allowing Member States to continue investing in large and small infrastructure projects during a time of general economic stagnation.”
