It is a symbol of social status, Joo says. Furthermore, railways simply cannot compete with highways. At the same time, the railway system is deteriorating. As a result, traffic is often delayed, the quality of service is inadequate and the conditions of travel are poor. Financing has been inadequate for the maintenance of rail infrastructure and rolling stock.
Estimates show that only one-fourth of necessary maintenance is actually carried out.
When faced with the task of modernising a road link, most CEE governments decide to rebuild it as a highway, adds Joo. At first glance, TINA is a pro-train package. According to TINA's 1998 progress report, the region's transportation network would comprise 18,353 km of roads and 20,423 km of railway lines. However, only a fraction of this would be new links, as most would be existing road and rail routes, many of which are currently in poor condition. It is not obligatory for accession countries to build or upgrade every road and rail link on TINA maps.