Waterways in the 2030 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan – strengthen major routes
The "2030 Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan" (FTIP 2030) contains all investment projects for the roads, railways and waterways which will need to be implemented in the years to come in order to develop our transport infrastructure and make it sustainable and efficient. Moreover, the FTIP 2030 shows which additional investment, inter alia to maintain or replace the transport networks, is needed for the individual transport modes until 2030.
Staged appraisal method
The projects that are to be realized by the Federal Government in the field of waterways have been identified in the staged appraisal procedure of the FTIP: When notifying projects for the FTIP, the federal states, trade associations and the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration were called upon to submit project ideas and proposals for Germany’s federal waterways. From these ideas and proposals, the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure has defined specific projects in cooperation with the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration. First, a simplified preliminary assessment was carried out as part of the staged appraisal procedure to determine whether the projects can reach the economic break-even point. Some projects for which this was clearly ruled out were not considered in the further assessment. During the next appraisal stage, the main appraisal was undertaken based on the transport development forecast for 2030 using the following criteria:
- cost-benefit ratio;
- impact on environmental protection and nature conservation.
In addition to the appraisal results, the final classification of the projects into the requirement categories of the FTIP took into account further factors, for example the improvement of the hinterland connections of German seaports.
Strengthening major routes
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure has defined the most important and most frequently used waterways as the core network. It is essential that this core network be kept functional and efficient at all times so that the environmentally friendly transport by ship on these routes runs smoothly and economically. For this reason, upgrading measures are focused on the waterways of the core network. Here, too, the principle that was defined for all modes of transport in the FTIP applies: capital maintenance investment and investment in replacement infrastructure is given priority over upgrading and new construction measures. As regards the minor network, the focus of the Federal Government is on measures which are required from a security point of view, such as maintaining the structure of or replacing barrages.
Waterways are an environmentally friendly mode of transport
The aim for the German transport policymakers is to bring environmentally friendly inland waterway transport to the forefront. However, sometimes there is no efficient infrastructure that would allow inland waterway vessel operators to ship competitively. Therefore, the Federal Government is also expanding the infrastructure in places where investment might only pay off at a later date. The idea behind this is to motivate private sector investors to invest their money, for example, in better vehicles, in the handling infrastructure or in logistics concepts in order to make greater use of this infrastructure that is funded by the Federal Government.
List of measures
A complete appraisal was conducted for a total of 28 waterway projects in the framework of the FTIP, and the projects were classified into the requirement categories of the FTIP 2030. Details and results of the appraisal of all projects studied can found in the project information system of the FTIP (available in German only).
On this basis, the Federal Waterways Upgrading Act with the requirement plan for the federal waterways was established. During the parliamentary debate on this Act, a few amendments were made to the requirement plan, compared with the FTIP 2030.
As a result of the process, 24 projects with an overall financial volume of 6.5 billion euros were included in the requirement plan as "new projects of first priority". Among them are 7 projects which, based on their appraisal results, were classified as "first priority – removal of bottlenecks" (VB-E), i.e. as being very urgent.
Requirement plan for the federal waterways – Annex to Section 1(1) of the Federal Waterways Upgrading Act, Part 2 "New projects of the first priority (VB-E and VB)."
1 | Optimize the laden draughts of the fairways on the Middle Rhine |
2 | Deepen the fairways on the Lower Main up to Aschaffenburg |
3 | Adapt the fairways on the Outer Weser |
4 | Deepen the Kiel Canal |
5 | Adapt the fairways on the Lower Weser (south) |
6 | Adapt the fairways on the Lower Weser (north) |
7 | Upgrade the Wesel Datteln Canal up to Marl and construct new replacement "large locks" and construct new, higher replacement bridge |
8 | Deepen the Outer Ems |
9 | Upgrade the Datteln-Hamm Canal (eastern section) |
10 | Realign the Saatsee Curve on the Kiel Canal |
11 | Adapt the seaward approach to the seaport of Rostock |
12 | Upgrade the Danube on the Straubing – Vilshofen section (option A) |
13 | Improve the laden draught and stabilize the bottom on the Rhine between Duisburg and Stürzelberg |
14 | Adapt the seaward approach to the seaport of Wismar |
15 | Adapt the Dortmund-Ems Canal (northern section) |
16 | Upgrade the Havel-Oder Waterway |
17 | Upgrade the Salzgitter Branch Canal including construction of two new replacement locks |
18 | Upgrade the Coastal Canal including construction of two new replacement locks |
19 | Bring forward construction of a new replacement lock at Lüneburg-Scharnebeck on the Elbe Lateral Canal |
20 | Lengthen the locks on the Neckar between Mannheim and Plochingen |
21 | Construct seven 2nd lock chambers on the Moselle |
22 | Upgrade the Elbe-Lübeck Canal |
23 | Upgrade the Hildesheim Branch Canal |
24 | Kleinmachnow Lock on the Teltow Canal (exclusively with regard to its maintenance) |