New Plans to Accelerate Development of High-Speed Rail Across the EU

The European Commission has unveiled a new plan that aims to accelerate the development of high-speed rail across the European Union (EU), offering passengers greatly reduced travel times.

The plan is set to build on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), and cut the duration of a number rail journeys across the region by half when compared to their current iterations.

Examples given by the Commission include the shortening of routes from Berlin to Copenhagen to four hours (down from the current seven) by 2030, as well as the potential for a six hour journey between Sofia and Athens by 2035. New cross-border connections will also seek to link the Baltic countries, enabling travel between Paris to Lisbon via Madrid.

The plan aims to provide a new, faster high-speed rail network by 2040, and focuses on actions structured around a set of four pillars:

Accelerating Investment and Harmonising a European High-Speed Rail Network

• Cross-border bottlenecks are set to be removed through binding timelines (which will be set by 2027), and options for higher speeds, including those above 2550 km/h when economically viable, will be identified
• A dedicated EU financing strategy will be prepared, which in turn will be supported by a strategic dialogue with EU Member states, industry and financial actors with an objective to better coordinate funding sources and private investment, as well as strengthen the EU financing ecosystem for high-speed rail projects (ensuring completion of the TEN-T network by 2040). This dialogue is planned to culminate in the forming of a High-Speed Rail Deal

Attractive and Competitive Frameworks

• New legislation will support the introduction of a second-hand market for rolling stock through the banning of anticompetitive scrapping of functioning and safe rolling stock, alongside the establishment of conditions for its associated resale and operation from 2027
• A 2026 proposal will aim to improve all cross-border rail ticketing and booking systems, simplifying journeys between countries
• Entry barriers will be removed for new high-speed operators, with a better coordination of track capacity, fair track access charges and non-discriminatory access to service facilities expected to make it easier for new companies to offer high-speed rail services

Support for a Strong, Innovative and Harmonised European Rail Sector

• A 2026 Europe’s Rail research call will aim to support the development of next-generation high-speed rolling stock, which will fund research to overcome technical barriers currently preventing individual high-speed trainsets from operations across Europe
• Train driver certification training will be simplified in 2026 following updates to EU rules, making it easier for train drivers to operate cross-border services
• A new 2026 European ERTMS Deployment Plan will ensure a harmonised rollout of ERTMS

Strengthening of EU-Level Governance to Coordinate and Deliver High-Speed Rail

• Infrastructure managers will be empowered and legally required to cooperate in the provision of both predictable and attractive cross-border capacity for long-distance services (in line with the proposed Regulation on the use of rail infrastructure capacity)
• Discussions will be held on the barriers currently restricting the establishment of new services between key cities, with roundtable discussions set to make progress toward identified solutions with all proceedings overseen by the European TEN-T Coordinators
• A scoreboard will be established to monitor progress on high-speed rail
• A revision of the mandate of the European Union Agency for Railways will be carried out in 2026, enabling the removal of what the Commission refers to as ‘redundant’ national rules and issue authorisations and certifications more efficiently

Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, stated:

High-speed rail is not just about cutting travel times - it is about uniting Europeans, strengthening our economy, and leading the global race for sustainable transport. With today’s plan, we are turning ambition into action: breaking down barriers, mobilising investments for modern infrastructure, and making cross-border rail the backbone of a carbon-neutral, competitive, and secure Europe.

Citizens across the Union will benefit from faster, safer, and more affordable journeys that bring Europe closer together.