Politico: Europe discusses restoration of Iron Rhine amid Russian threat

Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany are negotiating the restoration of the Iron Rhine railway line connecting the Belgian port of Antwerp with the industrial Ruhr in Germany. About writes Politico.

The railroad, built in the 19th century, gained new strategic importance as the military threat from Russia grew. During and after World War II, it played a key role for the Allies, but after 1991 it was almost never used.

Currently, the EU needs more capacity for military transportation, and other railroad routes are overloaded. According to experts, it is the military factor that can speed up the decision to restore the Iron Rhine.

At the same time, not all member states are equally interested in this. The Netherlands is not enthusiastic about the idea because it already has a parallel line from Rotterdam to Germany and fears competition from the port of Antwerp.

In 2003, the dispute between Belgium and the Netherlands went to arbitration. The court then allowed Belgium to restore the route, but on the condition that it cover the environmental costs.

Now, hope for the restoration of the railroad is being given by possible funding from the EU and NATO. The new EU budget proposes to allocate 17 billion euros for military mobility starting in 2027.

If the money comes, experts predict that even the Netherlands will support the project.

In Germany, the Iron Rhine is viewed positively, but they emphasize the complexity of the infrastructure challenges, especially in the Aachen region.

• In May, the EU Council approved regulations on the creation of a new financial instrument – The Security Initiative for Europe (SAFE), which provides up to EUR 150 billion to support joint defense procurement in member states. The main goal is to strengthen the production capacity of the European defense industry and increase preparedness for threats.
• The SAFE tool is part of a broader reArm Europe plan (ReArm Europe) aimed at mobilizing up to EUR 800 billion to strengthen defense.
• On August 12, the Financial Times wrote that European military plants expand production three times faster than it was before the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.