Ten-T: The World's Most Expensive Construction Project, Ever!

The European Union is embarking on a project more expensive than anything either China or the US has ever done

The Ten-T, or the Trans-European Transport Network project is the largest infrastructure project ever developed, and it’s crazy how few people know about it!

The Ten-T project’s official budget is $600 Billion, and actual cost estimates are already projected to land north of $850 Billion!

Compare this budget to China’s entire High-Speed-Railway network construction cost of around $300 Billion, or the USA Interstate Highway Project built in the 1950s-70s costing around $535 Billion (in today’s money), and you begin to understand just how colossal the Ten-T project is!

The TEN-T is a Europe-wide network of railway lines, roads, inland waterways, maritime shipping routes, ports, airports, and railroad terminals.

Its objective is not only to build groundbreaking new infrastructure that will connect all EU member states with faster and higher capacity routes, but also to reduce the environmental impact of transport while increasing energy efficiency and safety.

This ambitious project includes, but is not limited to, 9 core corridors that reflect major long-distance transport movements and routes throughout Europe.

The key goal of TEN-T is to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector by 90%, compared with 1990 levels, by 2050.

What are the milestones for the completion of the TEN-T network?

The TEN-T network will be completed in three steps:

By 2030 – completion of the core TEN-T network at existing TEN-T standards such as the electrification of the entire rail network and the possibility to run 740 million trains a year!

By 2040 – completion of the extended core network according to the new standards such as the 160 km/h minimum line speed for passenger rail and the good navigation status for inland waterways. The new standards proposed in the revision, in particular on green transport and enhanced digitalization, will apply by this date for both the core and extended core network. The world standard European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) shall also be deployed by 2040 on the entire TEN-T network and national systems will be removed. The 2040 milestone has been added to accelerate network completion in view of reaching the EUs climate ambitions by 2050.

By 2050 – completion of the entire Trans-European Transport Network, including the sections within the comprehensive network.

Conclusion

It’s not surprising that the project is experiencing severe schedule and cost overruns. Starting in 2013, TEN-T is no longer expected to be operational by its original 2030 target. Also, according to a recent audit of the project by the European commission, changes in design and scope over time have “led to cost increases of 47 % compared to initial cost estimates.”

However, at the end of the day this is a groundbreaking infrastructure project of which the likes have never been seen in Europe, and likely a necessary step for the European Union if it wants to continue to compete economically with China and the United States.

TEN-T will enable a whole new magnitude of connectivity between EU member states and create the premise for an unfathomable increase in trade and communication inside the region.

The TEN-T is a massive, costly, and messy undertaking by the European Union, but I believe it is a necessary ordeal for its survival and continued prosperity!