This is the third Research Theme Analysis Report produced under the Transport Research & Innovation Portal (TRIP) continuation project for the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG-MOVE), which began in November 2014. It covers the Transport Infrastructure research theme. The purpose of TRIP is to collect, structure, analyse and disseminate the results of European Union (EU) supported transport research, research financed nationally in the European Research Area and selected global research programmes. The TRIP web portal can be found at http://www.transport-research.info The purpose of this Research Theme Analysis Report is to provide an overview of research performed (mostly) in the EU collated by TRIP, providing a view across many projects that fall under the theme. It reports a robust and thorough assessment of the reported results from the research projects, giving scientific and policy perspectives. For the purpose of this review, the theme of Transport Infrastructure has been divided into six sub-themes (identified by considering the life-cycle of infrastructure) and the assessments performed within each sub-theme as well as across the complete theme. The sub-themes considered are: • planning; • assessment; • pricing, funding and financing; • construction; • management and governance; • monitoring and maintenance. The key findings from a policy perspective are: • EU policy relating to transport infrastructure has continually evolved and strengthened, as lessons from previous policy frameworks have been learnt or in response to new developments; • the current policy framework for the Trans-European networks — Transport (TEn-T), which includes the revised TEn-T Guidelines and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), is comprehensive and aims to improve the delivery of intermodal integration and to contribute to the EU’s climate goals; • policy relating to infrastructure charging has been evolving constantly, although the implementation in practice still falls short of the high-level objective of fair and efficient pricing; • regulatory action on safety has been more comprehensive for some modes than others, but EU policy provides an appropriate policy framework, taking account of subsidiarity principles; • the EU policy framework for intelligent transport systems (ITS) has been more recent, and has been proactive in providing the appropriate policy frameworks and in supporting the development and implementation of the applications (e.g. under the CEF). The key findings from a scientific perspective are: • The focus of the successive EU research programmes has developed in parallel with the policy framework and associated technological and operational developments. • Research on the planning of transport infrastructure has contributed to practice, particularly in relation to how to plan better for sustainable transport, including the appropriate consideration of land use effects. Research on the TEn-T network has evolved with the policy framework, as the focus is now on planning an interconnected, multimodal transport network that goes beyond the borders of the EU. Local sustainability impacts (such as those on biodiversity, landscape fragmentation and the pollution of soil and water) have been the subject of national research. • There is a clear link between research and practice with respect to the appraisal and evaluation of transport infrastructure. The need to appraise and evaluate infrastructure better has resulted in research aimed at improving the various assessment methodologies used and how they are linked, and the consideration of wider economic and environmental impacts. • A focus of research on pricing has been the internalisation of the external costs of transport. This has a clear link to policy in the context of delivering fair and efficient transport pricing. An important element of the research on transport pricing has been on user acceptance and the use of revenues, which are closely related. Research has also looked at how best to phase-in changes to the structure of transport pricing. Research on the financing of transport has focused on alternative ways of financing large projects in particular, and on the challenges of using private finance and meeting the objective of fair and efficient pricing. • Research on the construction of transport infrastructure has looked at various relevant aspects, particularly the design of infrastructure and the materials used in its construction, including the use of recycled materials. Many of these projects have direct practical applications as they have responded to the wider needs of improving the quality of infrastructure, reducing costs and improving environmental performance. More recently, attention has also turned to ancillary infrastructure (e.g. those that support the use of vehicles using alternative powertrains). • Projects concerned with the efficiency of the operation of transport infrastructure tend to focus on a single mode or on a specific type of intermodal connection, such as around a port. Research concerning interconnectivity and interoperability tends to focus on identifying missing links or barriers to delivering these aims and then identifying possible solutions. Projects that aim to improve the performance and resilience of infrastructure in the face of extreme weather events, and safety and security challenges, focus on the design and operation of infrastructure. However, some have also looked at strategies for responding to events as they occur. • Increasingly, research is looking at the role of ITS and other technologies in the management of transport infrastructure, including its monitoring and maintenance. new ways of repairing infrastructure and of developing infrastructure management tools have also been the subject of research. The main recommendations for future research are: • For most aspects of transport infrastructure covered in this report, research will be needed to respond to developments in technology and to wider social trends, including environmental issues and the changing demands of users. Technological developments will also have an impact on the way infrastructure is used, which is also likely to require dedicated research. • With respect to planning, research will be needed to ensure a common understanding and awareness of new sustainable planning concepts and practices at all levels of government. • There is a need for research to improve various aspects of the appraisal and evaluation of transport infrastructure. There is a need to understand the wider economic effects of infrastructure better, improve ex-post evaluation methodologies to improve learning from experience and enhance the linkages with ex-ante evaluations. • More research is needed to understand the implications of different forms of infrastructure finance — from public-private partnerships (PPPs) to projects financed by revenues — on the ex-ante evaluation of projects and how these might be implemented in a way that is consistent with fair and efficient pricing. • There is a need to synthesise and disseminate better the research that has been undertaken with respect to the pricing and financing of transport infrastructure. Further research on increasing the acceptability of fair and efficient charging schemes for transport would also be beneficial. Regarding the construction of infrastructure, research is needed to: - accelerate construction, including of o?-site construction methods; - make infrastructure more durable and better from an operational perspective; - reduce the disruption caused by its maintenance and to maximise the use of secondary raw materials in the construction process. • Research also needs to focus on improving the way in which electric vehicles are charged and connected to the grid, and on ensuring that the construction and maintenance of infrastructure takes account of developments in cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS). • The rapid developments in information and communication technologies provide many opportunities to improve the way in which infrastructure is managed, many of which will require research into how best to apply these technologies while delivering wider social objectives. The main recommendations for future policy development are: • Planning policy needs to look at the further integration of the various land use and transport planning instruments, while reflecting the different transport patterns across Member States. There is also a need for policy to take account of the interfaces between the EU’s TEn-T network and the networks of neighbouring countries with a view to optimising international transport corridors and traffic flows. • There is a need for policy to support the development and application of ex-ante evaluations and ex-post evaluations. • Policy development in transport pricing needs to focus on achieving a more streamlined and standardised approach to infrastructure charging based on well-researched criteria to improve the implementation of fair and efficient pricing structures. • Improved design standards and green public procurement could be beneficial to support research and innovation in construction. There might be scope for policy action to ensure that the contribution of road surfaces to noise pollution is addressed (e.g. by setting appropriate standards). • The current TEn-T/CEF framework should be monitored to ensure that it contributes to improving the efficiency, interconnectivity and interoperability of the EU’s transport network. Policy in the area of resilience to extreme weather events, safety and security could take the form of relevant standards, depending on the mode and infrastructure concerned. • The policy framework for ITS will need to be kept under review as the technologies and their range of applications develop. Appropriate standards to ensure interoperability and security might be necessary at some point. (Author/publisher)
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