Questions and answers on the Communication on Connecting Europe through High-Speed Rail

Why are you publishing this Communication? What are its benefits for citizens, in particular travellers?  

The new High-Speed Rail Action Plan sets out the steps to improve cross-border and long-distance train travel across Europe. It will provide passengers with faster connections, easier booking options and more affordable prices. 

By completing key rail links between major cities, passengers will have a real alternative to short-haul flights and long car journeys. The plan foresees that passengers will be able to travel from Berlin to Copenhagen in four hours instead of seven, and from Madrid to Lisbon in just three hours.

A more connected network also means more competition. In parts of the EU rail market, passengers are already benefitting from lower ticket prices, improved service frequency, and a wider range of travel options. To bring these advantages to all Europeans, the Commission is tackling the barriers that are still preventing new operators from entering the rail market. These include restricted access to stations, depots, and ticketing systems, high track access charges, costly investments in rolling stock, and differing training requirements for train drivers. 

The Commission is also improving capacity planning and coordination, as well as establishing unified safety and operating requirements. These measures will lead to fewer delays, more predictable timetables, and more trains where they are most needed.

In parallel, the Commission proposals on ticketing and passenger rights, planned for early 2026, will contribute to making high-speed rail the easy, obvious and attractive choice for travellers. 

How will travel times be reduced once the plan is implemented?

Finalising the EU high-speed railway network will reduce travel times significantly. This will benefit not only the major hubs but also the cities between these destinations and the surrounding regions. 

For example, in the future, it will be possible to travel from Tallin to Riga in 1h45, and from Riga to Vilnius in around 2h (today 6h10 h and 4h10 h). In Central Europe, journey times from Berlin to Vienna via Prague will be reduced from more than 8h to 4h30. In Southeast Europe, travel times between Sofia and Athens will take 6h instead of 13h40, while Budapest will be linked to Bucharest in 6h15 instead of 15h. In the Southwest, travel times between Madrid and Lisbon will be cut down from 9 h to roughly 3h, and journeys between Madrid and Paris from 9h50 to 6h. In the North, travel times between Copenhagen and Berlin will be brought down from 7h to 4h. Finally, in the South, travel times between Munich and Rome will decrease from 9h30 to 6h.

What are the benefits for businesses?  

The Commission sees high-speed rail as a strategic investment in Europe's long-term competitiveness. Better and faster rail connections make it easier for businesses to grow beyond national borders. High-speed links between major cities reduce travel time and improve access to suppliers, clients, and workers. This supports cross-border cooperation, helps companies to scale up, and boosts regional competitiveness. 

As highlighted in the Letta report, infrastructure gaps remain a major barrier to a truly integrated Single Market. Strengthening physical connections between major cities supports growth, innovation, and the resilience of European businesses. It is important for making Europe stronger globally, and for ensuring that all regions and companies can take part in that economic growth. 

What are the benefits for rail operators? How will the Commission make it easier for new rail companies to offer services across Europe?  

Rail operators will benefit from investment in the high-speed rail network and enhanced cross-border connectivity. To ensure that new operators can also reap these benefits, the Commission will put forward measures to support their entry the EU's rail market.

New operators often struggle to access stations, depots, ticketing systems, and suitable rolling stock. The Commission will therefore review EU rules on access to service facilities and support national regulators in ensuring non-discriminatory treatment and improving market transparency.

The Commission will also present a proposal to make it easier for new railway undertakings to sell their tickets on existing platforms. 

The Commission will cooperate with financial stakeholders to expand or create new innovative financing tools for new entrants to acquire or lease rolling stock. To encourage the development of a second-hand rolling stock market, the Commission will also put forward proposals to limit the scrapping of functioning rolling stock and create transparent conditions for its resale.  

What does this plan mean for the European rail industry? 

The Commission will promote research and development of the next generation of high-speed rolling stock made in Europe and streamline procedures for their technical approval (through the European Union Agency for Railways - ERA). Together, these steps will create a more dynamic and open European rail market offering affordable services to citizens. The steps will also strengthen the competitiveness of European products on global markets. 

How will the Commission ensure that train travel remains affordable? 

High-speed rail must be competitive and affordable. Competition, as seen in countries like Spain and Italy, has resulted in reduced prices and growth in passenger numbers. Competitive rail travel requires a well-funded and well-maintained infrastructure, which the Commission will support through its financing strategy.

To ensure competitive and affordable services, the Commission will also tackle infrastructural, commercial and technical barriers, including rolling stock availability and access to service facilities. Removing these barriers will support the development of rail services and enable new companies to enter the rail services market. 

The Commission also encourages keeping infrastructure charges for railway operators at a level that allows rail to compete with other transport modes.

Does this plan make it easier to buy tickets for cross-border trips?  

The Commission is preparing a legislative proposal aimed at making it easier for passengers to find and purchase tickets for journeys combining services from different operators. The aim is to increase passengers' choice and digital access to all tickets, as well as make more rail tickets available on major ticketing platforms, including from smaller rail companies. This proposal, planned for early 2026, should be complemented by a targeted revision of the Rail Passenger Rights Regulation, ensuring that passengers who buy their ticket in a single transaction on one platform are protected for the entire journey, regardless of how many operators or countries are involved. 

What about remote areas, will they be better connected?  

The Communication focuses on connections between major cities in Europe, extending beyond capitals, and covers most regions along the European Transport Corridors. It aligns with a key objective of the TEN-T Regulation, which is to ensure accessibility and connectivity across the EU. The TEN-T Regulation also aims to link regional rail services and public transport to high-speed rail. Given the design of the TEN-T and its objectives, all regions should benefit from investment in high-speed rail. 

How will investments in the high-speed rail network be financed? 

Building and upgrading high-speed rail infrastructure requires significant long-term investment. Estimates suggest that finalising the planned TEN-T high-speed network by 2040 will cost around €345 billion, while a more ambitious network operating at very high speeds (well above 250km/h) could cost as much as €546 billion by 2050. 

Public funding alone will not be enough to meet the substantial investment needs. However, EU funding will be required to harness funding from other public and private sources. In particular, the development of the high-speed rail network will require private investment, and loans and guarantees from financial institutions, such as the European Investment Bank (EIB) and national promotional banks and institutions (NPBI).

The Commission will develop a financing strategy and engage in a strategic dialogue with Member States, financial institutions and other key stakeholders to bridge the investment gap. A “High-Speed Rail Deal” to be agreed in 2026 will set out joint commitments to mobilise resources across all these actors. 

There are already examples of high-speed rail projects financed through blended finance. In Italy, the deployment of performance guarantees supported by InvestEU and the Recovery and Resilience Facility was instrumental in securing the financing of the Palermo-Catania high-speed rail connection. Portugal also benefitted from this blended approach – with the Lisbon-Porto high-speed project (PPP) receiving a Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant and an EIB loan backed by the InvestEU guarantee.

Will high-speed rail improve connections with other transport modes? 

Yes. The plan foresees stronger links between high-speed rail and other transport modes to make journeys smoother and more reliable. By 2030, all large EU airports handling over 12 million passengers should be connected to long-distance or high-speed rail. The Commission will assess the connectivity of 40 major airports and promote best practices for integration. The Commission will also analyse multimodal hubs in cities to identify ways to integrate long-distance and high-speed rail networks into other forms of public transport, cycling and shared mobility. 

In parallel, a proposal on multimodal passenger rights under discussion will strengthen protection for travellers who combine different transport modes in a single journey. 

For More Information 

Press release - Commmission boosts Europe's competitiveness with new plans for high-speed rail and sustainable fuels for aviation and waterborne sectors