European Commissioner Danuta Hubner 
endorses the work of SEEDA's HST projects
December 2008 saw the conclusion of HSTconnect and HSTintegration.
In her foreword to the projects’ booklet, A High Speed Future for Europe’s Regions, European Commissioner Danuta Hübner emphasises the important role of the projects in promoting economic growth while reducing the region’s carbon footprint. She highlights the achievements of the projects in improving access to the high-speed train networks of North West Europe, leveraging substantial additional funding into infrastructure investments and successfully engaging with policy makers and key stakeholders to influence the further development of the network.
The projects, led by SEEDA, brought together 27 partners from the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, they focused on enhancing the high-speed train network throughout North West Europe, specifically through targeted infrastructure investment, the upgrading of stations to improve their environment and accessibility and the creation of multi-modal transport hubs linked to the high-speed network.
The projects had a total value of €50 million, of which €23 million of the funding came from the European Regional Development Fund, through the INTERREG IIIB programme. The programmes have also helped to leverage significant further public and private sector investment ensuring that the development of the HST network adds value in terms of social and economic regeneration and sustainability. Research undertaken by the HST projects to measure the impact of the investments estimates that, in total, around €767 million had been invested in the HST investment locations.
The transnational networking of the projects has led to strong bi- and multi-lateral relationships that will continue after the lifetime of the projects. A number of exciting initiatives have already developed. More information on these initiatives can be found in the booklet.
‘A High Speed Future for Europe’s Regions – Facts and Findings of HSTconnect and HSTintegration’ summarises the experiences and achievements of the HST projects.
To down load a copy of the booklet, please click on the image above. Printed copies are available from Melanie Lucas or Egon Walesch
About High Speed Trains
The High Speed Train network in North West Europe has to be highly connected to be successful, both as an economic operation itself and, beyond rail, successful to deliver sustainable economic growth.
That is why the HST projects focus on linking insufficiently connected systems. Spatial planning, economic planning, the HST network and regional transport are seen as one entity. The assumption is that by better integration of existing systems, relatively low financial expenditure and better usage of existing infrastructure, a high socio-economic added value can be realised.
The Projects concentrate on the weakest points of the European travel chain e.g. cross border rail services, transfer between travel modes, the interdependence of public realm, station developments and local businesses, industrial estates and public transport, suburban settlements and sustainable transport modes, real-time and continuous travel information, integrated ticketing etc.
In the same way that a common European market is far more than an addition of national economic markets, a truly integrated HST network is far more than transport.
Certificates of Excellence were presented to the Cross River Partnership and Maastricht investment partners at the HST conference in May.
A High-Speed Vision for the Future
HSTintegration and HSTconnect celebrated the achievements of their projects at a conference in London on the 22nd May. 
HSTconnect and HSTintegration projects, lead by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) are European funded projects that work to improve the appearance of station areas and improve the links between high speed train stations and town centres. 
