Draft 2011 – 2015 framework investment plan submitted

Federal Minister Ramsauer submits draft 2011 – 2015 framework investment plan (Source: BMVBS)

date of issue

2011.12.15

serial number

262/2011

Federal Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer today submitted the Federal Government's draft framework investment plan for transport infrastructure for the period between 2011 and 2015. The framework investment plan is required by law and represents the guideline, on which the Federal Government will base its investments during the relevant period.

For the first time, the new framework investment plan sets clear priorities and bases investment planning on funding options that actually exist:

The new framework investment plan has a project volume of around 41 billion euros. This sum covers all projects that will be launched, continued or completed between 2011 and 2015. This financial volume comprises all investments required for these projects up to their final completion, i.e. including investments made after the year 2015 (the plan is thus no funding schedule). The previous plan contained projects with a volume of around 57 billion euros - although the level of budgetary resources available was considerably lower.

In the new framework investment plan, structural maintenance is clearly preferred over the construction of new infrastructure. The funds set aside for the structural maintenance of the existing infrastructure account for around two thirds of the overall sum: 28.1 billion euros have been earmarked for the structural maintenance of the federal railway infrastructure, the federal trunk roads and the federal waterways. In the previous plan, only a little bit more than half of the funds had been earmarked for structural maintenance.

Ramsauer:

"With the new framework investment plan, we are ensuring honesty and transparency in the construction of infrastructure. We have set clear priorities and have based our planning on the demand and on the funds available. Our transport network is a key locational advantage that we need to defend. We ensure that the high quality of our rail, road and waterway networks is maintained."

The new framework investment plan establishes practice-oriented criteria such as status of planning and availability of the construction go-ahead for the selection of projects. It shows planned investments of the Federal Government amounting to 20.6 billion euros for the railways, 24.8 billion euros for the roads and around 4.6 billion euros for the waterways.

Ramsauer went on to say:

"This draft shows two things: We need considerably more money for our transport infrastructure. However, if we want to be honest and transparent, we must base our planned investment volume for the five-year period between 2011 and 2015 on what is feasible."

The federal states and government departments may comment on the framework investment plan until the end of January 2012.