New Brussels-France high speed rail link - Completing the Trans-European Transport Network
The opening, on 10 December 1997, of the new high-speed rail link between Brussels and the French border represents a further important step towards the completion of the Trans-European Transport Network. Speaking at the official opening of the new line, to which the European Union has contributed ECU 140 million, Mr. Neil Kinnock, Commissioner responsible for transport policy and the trans-European networks, stressed that "... with the completion of this line we have taken a big step towards the construction of the high-speed train network across Europe. This is a key part of one of the 14 priority project selected by the European Council that met in Essen in 1994". The new Brussels-France section is part of the high-speed Paris-Brussels-Cologne-Amsterdam-London (PBKAL) train link - a priority TENs project aimed at reducing journey times between these major European cities. In 1998 and 1999 the EU expects to invest further funds for the Belgian section, as well as for lines in the UK, The Netherlands and Germany.
Countries
Belgium, France