The European Commission has outlined an ambitious plan to establish a “truly European” high-speed rail network by 2040, aiming to drastically cut travel times across the continent. This initiative seeks to overcome long-standing fragmentation in the existing rail system.
Under the proposed network, trains could achieve speeds exceeding 250 kilometers per hour. This would make rail a more attractive alternative to short-haul flights and some longer air journeys.
A key objective is to significantly reduce travel durations between major cities. For example, a journey from Lisbon to Madrid would be cut from nine hours to three hours.
By 2030, travel between Berlin and Copenhagen could be reduced from seven hours to four hours. The route connecting Sofia and Athens might drop from nearly 14 hours to six hours by 2035.
Similarly, travel between Tallinn and Riga is envisioned to shorten from six hours and ten minutes to just one hour and 45 minutes.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Commissioner for Transport, stated that this faster, integrated network would connect key cities with considerably quicker travel times.
Europe’s current high-speed rail infrastructure, totaling 12,128 kilometers, is heavily concentrated in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Central and Eastern European regions remain poorly connected.
Cross-border train travel in Europe is currently rare, plagued by national priorities, inadequate infrastructure, incompatible systems, conflicting regulations, and overly complicated ticketing processes.
External experts estimate the project would require approximately $590 billion (€546 billion) to triple the size of the existing high-speed network.
The Commission has committed to a funding strategy, aiming to use European funds to stimulate investment from national governments and private sectors.
Additional elements of the plan include standardizing pan-European signaling and ticketing systems.
Robin Loos, head of transport for the European Consumer Organization (BEUC), highlighted the current difficulties faced by consumers. He noted that passengers “have faced complex bookings and tickets, limited passenger rights, poor connections, and unsatisfactory service quality.”
Loos added that the plan must deliver necessary investment and technical harmonization, along with resolving the persistent issue of ticketing.
Commissioner Tzitzikostas envisions a future where passengers can book cross-border rail tickets, and eventually combined rail-air tickets, through a single website.
Legislative proposals are expected in early 2026. These measures aim to empower passengers with more rights and simplify cross-border ticket purchasing, encouraging a shift towards rail travel.