On 10 June 2007 the first 300 kilometre stretch of the East European High-Speed Line opened taking passengers from Paris to Baudrecourt in Lorraine at a speed of 320 km/h. The opening to passengers of…
On 10 June 2007 the first 300 kilometre stretch of the East European High-Speed Line opened taking passengers from Paris to Baudrecourt in Lorraine at a speed of 320 km/h. The opening to passengers of this first section of the 1 500 km European railway line intended to link Paris and Bratislava by 2015 marks an important date in European railway history[1], said Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for transport, welcoming this news.
This new railway line, the fastest in the world, is a tangible sign of the progress that European integration can make to people`s everyday lives. Its long-awaited opening will enable more people to travel and boost trade across borders.
The entry into service of the first section of the East European High-Speed Line, which received funding of €241 million from the European Union, shows that the construction of this trans-European corridor is on the right track, added Peter Balazs, European project coordinator. The four Member States concerned must step up their efforts to start work on new sections of the East European line as this will maximise the benefit of its construction in years to come, he continued.
The East European High-Speed Line, the first interoperable line between France and Germany, uses technological progress to eliminate national frontiers. Fitted with the latest generation of the harmonised train control system, the line can be used by both German Inter City Express trains and French TGVs (high-speed trains).
11 million passengers a year are expected to use the line, which will considerably reduce journey times. This high-speed railway line now links France, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg: the journey time between Frankfurt and Paris is now just 3 h 45 min (down from 6 h 15 min).
[1] IP/07/329 of 15 March 2007.
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