The TEN-T Rhine-Alpine and North Sea-Mediterranean Corridors were merged into the North Sea-Rhine-Mediterranean Corridor. For (at least) the next two years, the new entity will be led by Switzerland and Belgium.
“This leadership role will enable Switzerland to give greater force to its policy of modal shift at international level”, said the Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT). The main current challenges pointed out by the FOT are the slow pace of infrastructure expansion on the access routes to the NRLA, the impact of extensive construction measures, and the lack of reliability and capacity security for the sector.
The decision to merge the two corridors was made at the end of 2023 to create a network stretching from Genoa and Marseille in the south to the Dutch ports and Ireland in the north. Regarding rail freight, Adler highlighted a few issues concerning capacity management, data exchange, and structural organisation. On the other hand, there seems to be significant advantages for inland waterway transport.