De Commissie keurt hulp van Frankrijk en Italië goed voor de experimentele rollende autosnelweg voor vrachtvervoer tussen Lyon en Turijn goed (en)

Today the European Commission approved an extension of the aid from France and Italy to the experimental rolling motorway service between Aiton and Orbassano which uses the existing line between Lyon and Turin. The service is being operated by AFA - Autoroute Ferroviaire Alpine - from 2007 to 2009.

This is an extension of the aid approved by the Commission on 12 December 2003. Under that decision, France and Italy are allowed to grant financial support of up to €22 million each to the new rolling motorway service between Aiton and Orbassano over the experimental phase from 2007 to 2009.

In the rolling motorway system lorries are loaded onto shuttle trains which carry them and their drivers over distances of 200-300 km. This offers a viable alternative for crossing natural obstacles, such as the Alps. It also provides a means of reducing road congestion and environmental impact and encourages combined transport, thereby contributing to the objectives of the EU's sustainable transport policy.

In view of the experimental nature of the project, the particularly difficult conditions under which the system is being operated during the test period and the specific features of the technology being used, financial support is necessary in order to be able to continue. The Commission considers that the aid is compatible with competition rules since it is limited to the experimental phase.