The construction of the Fehmarnbelt tunnel will eliminate a bottleneck in traffic between Scandinavia and Central Europe, paving the way for a more efficient transport corridor in Europe.
Due to the tunnel's strategic location and the significant potential of the fixed connection, the European Commission has provided substantial support to the Fehmarnbelt project through the so-called CEF programme.
The Fehmarnbelt project is part of the European TEN-T network, which aims to optimise European infrastructure.
The Fehmarnbelt tunnel is included in the central north-south corridor stretching from Helsinki in Finland to Valletta in Malta.
TEN-T seeks to shift more freight from roads to railways, reduce energy consumption, and ease traffic congestion on local roads and in cities.
The Fehmarnbelt project significantly strengthens the railway system, making it far more competitive on both a European and regional scale.
Once the tunnel opens, freight traffic between Scandinavia and Central Europe will no longer have to be transported via the Storebælt link, reducing the railway freight distance by 160 kilometres.
Additionally, the tunnel will significantly shorten travel times on the route between Hamburg and Copenhagen.
