Europe's rail network: How it is composed
As is well known, Europe is the most developed continent in the world. The composition of the continent is formed by 50 countries, 250 thousand km of railroad network in Europe, with a territorial extension in a total of 10,180,000 km² and a population of more than 710 million. It is one of the continents that contains more countries that, due to the smaller extension than the other continents, are relatively “squeezed”, making the distance between a country on the eastern end of the continent not so far from the western end.
This proximity between nations makes it possible for trips to be shortened and to be carried out by modes other than air travel. The main modal that allows the transport of cargo within European countries and also from one country to another is the railroad. The railroad network in Europe is one of the main highlights of the continent, since there are more than 250 thousand km of railroad network in Europe, connecting more than 20 countries. In addition to travel between neighboring countries, the railroad sector is also fundamental for internal movement and cargo transportation.
Worldwide, Europe is known for its power in the railroad sector, which makes it easier to move between countries. Tourist guides, for example, always show Europe's rail network that allows for constant transit between neighboring nations. Obviously, there are several points of connection that are spread across different European countries. To get a better understanding of Europe's rail network, check the map and the tourist routes on the map below!
As in Brazil, the road sector is still predominant in European countries, mainly in the transportation of cargo and goods. However, the importance of the railroad sector for various areas of development in the countries of the old continent is undeniable. In addition to promoting greater integration between nations, the railroads enable greater versatility in trade, increasing the flow of export goods between countries. If we think that Brazil, for example, needs a very high cost to import and export products to the main nations of the world, and that many of them are in Europe, the expansion of Europe's rail network allows this trade to be made in a more practical way and with much lower logistical costs. Finally, the rail system that integrates European countries is an excellent attraction for tourism, mainly due to the ease that tourists have in getting to know different regions through rail travel.
Europe's rail network statistics.
To exemplify more precisely, nothing better than presenting some important figures, which effectively show the size and importance that the rail network in Europe has for the countries of the continent, both in terms of transporting people and cargo.
Europe is the most developed continent in the world. If we look at the list that measures the Human Development Index (HDI), built and prepared by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),we notice that, among the top ten places with the best indexes, seven countries are European, being: Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Iceland, Sweden and Holland.
Due to the small extent of the countries mentioned, as well as most other countries on the European continent, less extensive than important global nations, it is understandable that the size of the rail network in Europe, when we speak of the individual lines of each country, extend to more than one nation. Even though it does not represent the largest meshes in mileage, when we look at the ranking prepared by the intelligence service of the United States of America, the country with the longest railroad lines in the world, we see that some countries on the continent occupy important positions in the ranking on railroad extensions. We have compiled a list of the best European nations in the ranking, along with the extension of their railroad networks.
- Third place: Russia - 87,157km;
- Sixth place: Germany - 43,468km;
- Tenth place: France - 29,640km;
- 12th place: Italy - 24,179 km
The European Union, the main organization of nations on the European continent, is an institution that aims to regulate and operate transactions, trade and movement between countries belonging to the Union. Currently, there are 27 countries that comprise the organization, some of which are the most important for the country's economic activity, such as Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
If we consider the railroad network in Europe, which includes only the countries of the European Union, we can present some more relevant data. Of the more than 250 thousand km of railroad network in Europe, a total of 210 thousand km belongs to the countries of the Union. One of the main highlights of European railroads belonging to countries of the European Union is that trains reach high speeds, reaching 320 km / h, which facilitates the transport of cargo and also the movement of people between countries.
Structural changes
Notably, as in all regions of the world, the road system covers the main quantities of cargo transported in European countries. However, more and more the European Union and countries that do not include the organization are looking for solutions to expand the railroad networks in Europe, mainly due to logistical issues and the important points related to sustainability, since there is a search for reducing gas emissions carbon dioxide, abundant in road motor vehicles.
Precisely for this reason, European countries recently reached economic agreements to invest more than R $ 100 billion, until the year 2050, in increasing the expansion of Europe's rail network. The main objective of these investments is to achieve favorable rates of reduction of CO² emissions and, mainly, of the distance between the continent's rail and road sectors. As the railroad sector presents several advantages in relation to the main competing modal, the resources for the growth of the sector seek, in the long run, for the railroad sector to become the most important sector of people and cargo transportation.
Conclusion
As we have seen, the railroad network in Europe is super important for several reasons, both economic and social. Investing in this sector is becoming increasingly common in more developed countries and, in Europe, it is no different. Growth becomes more essential over time, as trains are extremely more sustainable than automotive vehicles, enabling faster and more agile journeys, allowing cargo flow to ports to be more effective. Therefore, we can conclude that the railroad network in Europe is extremely important for the development of European countries, which are currently the main countries in human development in the world, and that the railroad sector has a lot of impact on this issue, which could improve even more.
Do you want to know more about the railroad sector? Then visit our blog. .
https://exame.com/mundo/os-paises-mais-e-menos-desenvolvidos-do-mundo-em-2019/
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