Transport in Europe
Encyclopedia
Transport in Europe provides for the movement needs of over 700 million people and associated freight. The political geography of Europe
divides the continent into over 50 sovereign states and territories. This fragmentation, along with increased movement of people since the industrial revolution
, has led to a high level of cooperation between European countries in developing and maintaining transport networks. Supranational and intergovernmental organisations such as the European Union
(EU), Council of Europe
and OSCE have led to the development of international standards and agreements that allow people and freight to cross the borders of Europe, largely with unique levels of freedom and ease.
Road, rail, air and water transportation are all prevalent and important across Europe. Europe was the location of the world's first railways and motorways and is now the location of some of the world's busiest port
s and airport
s. The Schengen Area
enables border control-free travel between 25 European countries. Freight transportation has a high level of intermodal
compatibility and the European Economic Area
allows the free movement of goods across 30 states.
. The modern European rail network spans the entire continent and provides passenger and freight movement. There are significant high-speed rail
passenger networks such as the TGV
in France and the LAV
in Spain. The Channel Tunnel
connects the United Kingdom with France, Belgium
and thus the whole of the European rail system, and is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
Various methods of rail electrification are used, as well as much unelectrified track. In all European countries, standard gauge
is the most important rail gauge
except for Russia
, Finland
and the ex-Soviet states. The European Rail Traffic Management System
is an EU initiative to create a Europe-wide standard for train signalling.
Rail infrastructure, freight transport and passenger services are provided by a combination of local and national governments and private companies. Passenger ticketing varies from country to country and service to service. The Eurail Pass is a rail pass for 18 European countries; it is only available for persons who do not live in Europe, Morocco
, Algeria
and Tunisia
. Inter Rail
passes allow multi-journey travel around Europe for people living in Europe and surrounding countries.
, Ireland
, Malta
and Cyprus
, traffic drives on the left. In the rest of Europe, traffic mainly drives on the right with a few rare exceptions for certain stretches of motorway or a small country road. Toll road
s are common in some European countries with the Vignette
a particular notable road tax. The International E-road network
is an international road numbering system covering major highways in Europe, but most road management and classification takes place at a local or national level.
Environmental improvements since 1960 has made the Pollutants Standard Index in Europe low, In 2011 was the lowest in history, it reaches 20 (good)
industry also attracts many visitors to Europe, most of whom arrive into one of Europe's many large international airports. Heathrow Airport, London
is the busiest airport in the world by number of international passengers (third busiest overall). The advent of low cost carriers in recent years has led to a large increase in air travel within Europe. Air transportation is now often the cheapest way of travelling between cities. This increase in air travel has led to problems of airspace overcrowding and environmental concerns. The Single European Sky
is one initiative aimed at solving these problems.
Cheap air travel is spurred on by the trend for regional airports levying low fees to market themselves as serving large cities quite far away. Ryanair
is especially noted for this, since it primarily flies out of regional airports up to 150 kilometres away from the city it has said to serve. A primary example of this is the Weeze
-Skavsta flight, where Weeze mainly serves the Nijmegen/Kleve
area, while Skavsta serves Nyköping
/Oxelösund
. Ryanair however, markets this flight as Düsseldorf
-Stockholm
, which are both 80-90 kilometres away from these airports, resulting in up to four hours of ground transportation just to get to and from the airport.
, Netherlands
is the largest port in Europe and one of the busiest ports in the world, handling over 400 million metric tons of cargo in 2008. When the associated Europoort
industrial area is included, Rotterdam is by certain measurements the world's busiest port
.
The English Channel
is one of the world's busiest seaways carrying over 400 ships per day between Europe's North Sea
and Baltic Sea
ports and the rest of the world.
As well as its role in freight movement, sea transport is an important part of Europe's energy supply. Europe is one of the world's major oil tanker
discharge destinations. Energy is also supplied to Europe by sea in the form of LNG. The South Hook LNG terminal
at Milford Haven
, Wales
is Europe's largest LNG terminal.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
divides the continent into over 50 sovereign states and territories. This fragmentation, along with increased movement of people since the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, has led to a high level of cooperation between European countries in developing and maintaining transport networks. Supranational and intergovernmental organisations such as the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU), Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
and OSCE have led to the development of international standards and agreements that allow people and freight to cross the borders of Europe, largely with unique levels of freedom and ease.
Road, rail, air and water transportation are all prevalent and important across Europe. Europe was the location of the world's first railways and motorways and is now the location of some of the world's busiest port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
s and airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s. The Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
enables border control-free travel between 25 European countries. Freight transportation has a high level of intermodal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
compatibility and the European Economic Area
European Economic Area
The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...
allows the free movement of goods across 30 states.
Rail transport
Powered rail transport began in England in the early 19th century with the invention of the steam engineSteam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
. The modern European rail network spans the entire continent and provides passenger and freight movement. There are significant high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
passenger networks such as the TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
in France and the LAV
High-speed rail in Spain
The high-speed railway network in Spain currently consists of four dedicated passenger train main lines, in Spain named L.A.V. abbreviation for linea de alta velocidad...
in Spain. The Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
connects the United Kingdom with France, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and thus the whole of the European rail system, and is considered one of the seven wonders of the modern world.
Various methods of rail electrification are used, as well as much unelectrified track. In all European countries, standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
is the most important rail gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
except for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and the ex-Soviet states. The European Rail Traffic Management System
European Rail Traffic Management System
The European Rail Traffic Management System is an initiative backed by the European Union to enhance cross-border interoperability and signalling procurement by creating a single Europe-wide standard for train control and command systems....
is an EU initiative to create a Europe-wide standard for train signalling.
Rail infrastructure, freight transport and passenger services are provided by a combination of local and national governments and private companies. Passenger ticketing varies from country to country and service to service. The Eurail Pass is a rail pass for 18 European countries; it is only available for persons who do not live in Europe, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. Inter Rail
Inter Rail
The InterRail pass is a railway ticket , available to European residents.Residents of countries outside Europe can purchase the Eurail pass.The traditional InterRail Pass is now called the InterRail Global Pass...
passes allow multi-journey travel around Europe for people living in Europe and surrounding countries.
Road traffic
In the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, traffic drives on the left. In the rest of Europe, traffic mainly drives on the right with a few rare exceptions for certain stretches of motorway or a small country road. Toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
s are common in some European countries with the Vignette
Vignette (road tax)
A road tax vignette is a form of tax on vehicles, used in several non-English speaking European countries. The term is of French origin, and is now used throughout Central Europe....
a particular notable road tax. The International E-road network
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
is an international road numbering system covering major highways in Europe, but most road management and classification takes place at a local or national level.
Environmental improvements since 1960 has made the Pollutants Standard Index in Europe low, In 2011 was the lowest in history, it reaches 20 (good)
Air transport
Despite an extensive road and rail network, most long distance travel within Europe is by air. A large tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
industry also attracts many visitors to Europe, most of whom arrive into one of Europe's many large international airports. Heathrow Airport, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
is the busiest airport in the world by number of international passengers (third busiest overall). The advent of low cost carriers in recent years has led to a large increase in air travel within Europe. Air transportation is now often the cheapest way of travelling between cities. This increase in air travel has led to problems of airspace overcrowding and environmental concerns. The Single European Sky
Single European Sky
The Single European Sky is a European Commission initiative by which the design, management and regulation of airspace will be coordinated throughout the European Union ....
is one initiative aimed at solving these problems.
Cheap air travel is spurred on by the trend for regional airports levying low fees to market themselves as serving large cities quite far away. Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
is especially noted for this, since it primarily flies out of regional airports up to 150 kilometres away from the city it has said to serve. A primary example of this is the Weeze
Weeze
Weeze is a municipality in the Lower Rhine region, in the north-western part of North Rhine-Westphalia in the district of Kleve in the region of Düsseldorf....
-Skavsta flight, where Weeze mainly serves the Nijmegen/Kleve
Kleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
area, while Skavsta serves Nyköping
Nyköping
Nyköping is a locality and the seat of Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 32,427 inhabitants in 2005. The city is also the capital of Södermanland County.- History :...
/Oxelösund
Oxelösund
Oxelösund is a locality and the seat of Oxelösund Municipality in Södermanland County, Sweden with 10,843 inhabitants in 2005.- History :The harbour at Oxelösund has been used for at least 500 years. In the 19th century, an increased extraction from the Mining district of Central Sweden , made...
. Ryanair however, markets this flight as Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
-Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, which are both 80-90 kilometres away from these airports, resulting in up to four hours of ground transportation just to get to and from the airport.
Sea and river transport
The Port of RotterdamPort of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004 it was the world's busiest port, now overtaken by first Shanghai and then Singapore...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
is the largest port in Europe and one of the busiest ports in the world, handling over 400 million metric tons of cargo in 2008. When the associated Europoort
Europoort
Europoort is an area of the Port of Rotterdam and the adjoining industrial area in the Netherlands. Being situated at the mouth of the rivers Rhine and Meuse with the hinterland consisting of the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and partly France, Europoort is by certain measurements the world's...
industrial area is included, Rotterdam is by certain measurements the world's busiest port
World's busiest port
The world's busiest port is contested by several ports around the world, as there is as yet no standardised means of evaluating port performance and traffic. For the past decade, the distinction has been claimed by both the Port of Rotterdam and the Port of Singapore...
.
The English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
is one of the world's busiest seaways carrying over 400 ships per day between Europe's North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
ports and the rest of the world.
As well as its role in freight movement, sea transport is an important part of Europe's energy supply. Europe is one of the world's major oil tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
discharge destinations. Energy is also supplied to Europe by sea in the form of LNG. The South Hook LNG terminal
South Hook LNG terminal
South Hook LNG terminal is an LNG regasification terminal near Milford Haven and is the largest LNG terminal in Europe. Together with the smaller Dragon LNG terminal it can handle up to 25% of the UK's gas requirement. The first tanker docked on 20 March 2009....
at Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
is Europe's largest LNG terminal.
See also
- Directorate-General for Energy and Transport
- Emission standardEmission standardEmission standards are requirements that set specific limits to the amount of pollutants that can be released into the environment. Many emissions standards focus on regulating pollutants released by automobiles and other powered vehicles but they can also regulate emissions from industry, power...
- Energy in the European Union
- Environment in the European Union
- European Aviation Safety AgencyEuropean Aviation Safety AgencyThe European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...
- European Car of the YearEuropean Car of the YearThe European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organisers of the award are Auto , Autocar , Autopista , Autovisie , L'Automobile Magazine , Stern and Vi Bilägare .The voting jury consists of motoring...
- European Climate Change ProgrammeEuropean Climate Change ProgrammeThe European Climate Change Programme was launched in June 2000 by the European Union's European Commission, toward avoiding dangerous climate change....
- European Common Aviation AreaEuropean Common Aviation AreaEuropean Common Aviation Area .Bilateral agreements between the EU and some external countries about this single market in aviation services were signed on 5 May 2006 in Salzburg, Austria. It would build upon the EU's acquis communautaire and the European Economic Area...
- European Federation for Transport and EnvironmentEuropean Federation for Transport and EnvironmentThe European Federation for Transport and Environment is a European umbrella for non-governmental organisations working in the field of transport and the environment, promoting sustainable transport in Europe; which means an approach to transport that is environmentally responsible, economically...
- European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL)European Organisation for the Safety of Air NavigationEUROCONTROL is the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. Founded in 1963, it is an international organisation working for seamless, pan-European air traffic management. EUROCONTROL is a civil organisation and currently has 39 member states; its headquarters are in...
- European vehicle registration platesEuropean vehicle registration platesA European vehicle registration plate is a vehicle registration plate, a metal or plastic plate or plates attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the...
- International E-road networkInternational E-road networkThe international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
- Momo car-sharingMomo car-sharingMomo Car-Sharing is an project intended to promote a sustainable mobility culture supporting various transport options aside from car ownership. It has a total budget of 2,693,644 €, 50% co-financed by the European Union...
- The ROADEX ProjectThe ROADEX ProjectThe ROADEX Project is a technical co-operation between roads organisations across northern Europe that aims to share roads related information and research between the partners...
- Trans-European NetworksTrans-European NetworksThe Trans-European Networks were created by the European Union by Articles 154-156 of the Treaty of Rome , with the stated goals of the creation of an internal market and the reinforcement of economic and social cohesion...
- UNECE vehicle standards.
- Jacques BarrotJacques BarrotJacques Barrot is a French politician, who has served as European Commissioner for Justice , after four years as Commissioner for Transport and Commissioner for Regional Policy for eight months . He is also one of five vice-presidents of the 27-member Barroso Commission...
, Vice-President of the European CommissionVice-President of the European CommissionA Vice President of the European Commission is a post in the European Commission usually occupied by more than one member of the Commission. Since the 2009 Lisbon Treaty entered into force, one of these is ex-officio the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,...
, in charge of transport. - ACP Rail InternationalACP Rail InternationalACP Rail International, a division of ACP Marketing, markets and distributes international rail products to travel agents, tour operators and consumers. On behalf of its partners, ACP Rail International distributes rail passes, point to point tickets, seat and sleeper reservations and attractions...
External links
- Common Transport Policy and European transport, European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
. - Eurostat - Statistics Explained - all articles on transport
- Worldwide official website for Eurail Passes (non-European).
- Worldwide official website for InterRail Passes (European).
- Railways in Europe (with emphasis on interoperability and border crossings)
- European waterways
- Rail Choice, UK provider of a vast number of different railpasses covering Europe, USA, Japan and Australasia.
- Transport & Mobility Leuven.
- Trains Europe, An exciting, economic and flexible way to explore Europe.
- Rail Europe Official site, US distributor of the European Railroads.
- Britain On Track Official BritRail Pass site, US and Canadian supplier of BritRail and Eurail Passes.
- ACP Rail International Official site, Offers Eurail passes, BritRail, Amtrak, Japan Rail, Australia rail passes and more.
- The public transport guide, European public transport overview
