DIGITAL ARCHIPELAGO

‘An economic analysis of high-speed infrastructure in Europe’

Economy and Society

European and International Studies

2005

To date, discussion around the economic benefits of Europe?s public investment in high-speed networks has tended to steer clear of the technical side. The predominant argument can be summed up as “all infrastructure investment is good”, regardless of the real problems it sets out to solve and its differential cost vs. the next best alternative.

DIRECTOR

Ginés De Rus Mendoza

RESEARCH TEAM

Andreu Ulied Segui, Chris A. Nash, Francisco Javier Campos Méndez, Ignacio M. Barrón de Angoiti, Philippe Gagnepain, Roger Vickermann.

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS

Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

DESCRIPTION

This economic viewpoint has also been reinforced by strategic and political arguments in favour of investing in a technology which offers an antidote to congested roads and airports, as well as a reduction in accident rates.

This project seeks to fill a gap in the economic research being done in Europe: firstly, by creating a demand and cost database for EU high-speed lines in operation; secondly, by analysing their direct and indirect effects on the economy; thirdly, by studying intermodal competition versus air and road transport and, finally, by proposing economic evaluation techniques that can distinguish between investment projects with expected net social benefits and those with little social justification.