New rail corridor between the North Sea and the Mediterranean
By merging the North Sea – Mediterranean and Rhine – Alpine corridors, the European Union is creating a new strategic link: the North Sea Rhine Mediterranean Corridor (NSRM).
This new corridor officially entered service on 1 October 2025. It connects the south of England to the north of Italy, crossing one of the most populated and economically dynamic areas of Europe.
It covers seven countries of the European Economic Area: the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Its main role is to enhance the modal shift from road to rail, transferring part of the road freight transport to rail, in a logic of sustainability, logistics performance and emission reduction.
It also aims to harmonize operational practices, including through:
- the deployment of的ERTMS (European rail traffic management system);
- better allocation of capacity, together with more efficient scheduling.
This project is part of the TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Network) regulation, which provides for the establishment of a multimodal, sustainable and connected transport network at EU level by 2050, with intermediate stages set for 2030 and 2040.