The multiplication of alerts on climate change has done nothing… Between 1995 and 2018, European countries spent some 1,500 billion euros on road infrastructure compared to only 930 billion on rail, according to a study published Tuesday by the NGO Greenpeace.
In 30 countries (EU, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), the cumulative length of the motorway network increased by 60% between 1995 and 2020, going from 51,500 to 82,500 kilometers. The rail network lost 6.5%, according to the study carried out for the NGO by T3 Transportation and the Wuppertal Institute, a German research center.
France has invested twice as much in roads
The calculations are based on the data available in each country. As early as 1995, “we were already well informed about the reality of climate change, there were already negotiations on the climate and commitments to reduce greenhouse gases”, underlines Lorelei Limousin, transport manager at Greenpeace EU. “Despite these warnings about future climate change, countries have continued to invest in roads. »
France, in particular, “has invested more than twice as much in roads as in rail”, according to the study: 278 billion euros for roads compared to 130 billion for rail, urban trains, metros and trams included. A ratio almost equivalent to Germany, with 278 billion compared to 132 billion euros.
In Europe, some 13,700 km of passenger train lines have closed since 1995, the study notes, but “more than half” of passenger train lines “could be reopened relatively easily”.
At best… “but no trend reversal yet”
The funding gap between road and rail is narrowing for the period 2018 and 2021, with 34% more funds allocated to the automobile network than to rail. France notably invested 10% more in rail than in roads over this period. But “we cannot yet speak of a reversal of trend” at the European level, believes Lorelei Limousin. “We must not be satisfied with increasing funding for rail, we must also stop financing problems like motorways,” she maintains.
“Public funds must not be wasted on the expansion of highways and airports,” according to Greenpeace, which calls for “a halt to all new highway projects” by “limiting road investments to the strict minimum to maintenance” and safety measures. The NGO is therefore asking to “redirect” funding towards rail, but also public transport and non-motorized modes such as cycling or walking.