Multimodal connections

The need to stimulate the economies of Portugal and western Spain dictated urgent modernisation of the various means of transport in this part of the Iberian Peninsula in order to bring it closer to the rest of Europe. This is why a major trans-European project will complement measures taken nationally by Spain and Portugal. It takes the form of three corridors combining rail, road, air and sea transport and connecting: Ë La Coruña (Galicia, Spain) -> Lisbon Ë Irún (Spain) -> Lisbon Ë Seville (Andalusia, Spain) -> Lisbon In 1996 and 1997, the EU part-financed studies of multimodal connections using the Lisbon-Vilar Formoso (the Beira Baixa railway line for example). It is intended to connect these corridors to the ports of Sines, Setúbal, Lisbon, Aveiro and Leixões and to improve access to these ports by both sea and road. The port of Sines was equipped with a new direction and control system for remote monitoring of harbour operations and to detect any dangerous situation in good time. In 1997, the Union part-financed studies on the construction of the new Lisbon airport, the expansion of the airports at Porto and Faro and the refitting of the port of Setúbal. On the Spanish side, the Union part-financed the study of improvements to the railway lines between Fuentes de Oñoro and Valladolid and between Redondela (Tuy) and La Coruña. Improving safety and journey times will undoubtedly promote trade between Portugal and the rest of the Union and it is likely that some road traffic will switch to rail, which will be good for the environment. Economic projections suggest that a large number of direct and indirect permanent jobs will be created in the regions the routes cross.