The European Commission has published a plan to accelerate the roll-out of a “truly European” high-speed rail network by 2040, with indicative journey-time targets on key cross-border corridors and a package of measures on interoperability, ticketing and passenger rights.
Under the blueprint, new high-speed lines should operate at speeds of 250km/h or above “when feasible”, while upgraded main lines would also be expected to deliver faster services. If implemented, Berlin–Copenhagen would be four hours by 2030 (from about seven today), and Sofia–Athens six hours by 2035 (from nearly 14). The Commission lists further examples, including major cuts on Baltic routes and on Paris–Lisbon via Madrid.
The Commission frames the plan as a competitiveness and connectivity measure designed to shift passengers from short-haul aviation to rail on many intra-European routes. A press statement summarises the proposals alongside separate initiatives on sustainable fuels for aviation and maritime sectors.
Europe’s existing high-speed network totals roughly 12,000 km and is concentrated in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with central and eastern Europe less well connected. The Commission’s communication cites external estimates that tripling the high-speed network to support speeds “well over 250km/h” would require around €546bn, while finalising the currently planned TEN-T high-speed network by 2040 would need about €345bn.
Financing is central to delivery. Brussels signals a forthcoming financing strategy and the use of EU funds to incentivise national investment and crowd in private capital for both infrastructure and rolling stock. Reporting on the package also points to an intention to increase transport-infrastructure envelopes in the 2028–35 EU budget, though national co-financing will remain decisive.
Technical and regulatory barriers are a focus. The plan seeks faster deployment of interoperable signalling and operating rules to allow seamless cross-border running, together with harmonised standards that would shorten approvals and reduce costs for trains used in multiple countries. The Commission’s overview describes the measures as a high-speed rail action plan built on the TEN-T framework.
Ticketing and consumer protection form a second pillar. Brussels intends to table legislation in early 2026 to enable passengers to buy cross-border rail tickets, and eventually combined rail-air tickets, through a single interface, with passenger-rights provisions adapted to multi-operator journeys.
Consumer advocates welcomed the broad direction. Robin Loos of BEUC said the initiative should provide much-needed investment and technical harmonisation and “aims to iron out the longstanding issue of ticketing” for international rail customers.
Industry signalled support for clear speed benchmarks. The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) commended endorsement of 250km/h-plus standards for new lines, arguing this sets a level at which rail can compete with short-haul air and underpin a material modal shift. Trade press reporting quotes CER’s executive director urging rapid delivery and dedicated funding.
Analysts urged caution on timelines. Jon Worth, an independent rail commentator, called the document “not a plan” and questioned whether specific projects would follow without clearer funding and implementation detail, noting the EU’s mixed record on slower-speed TEN-T corridors. He published similar scepticism on his blog on 5 November.
The Commission acknowledges delivery risks, including competing national priorities, uneven infrastructure quality and fragmented regulation that has previously slowed cross-border services. It argues that the combination of EU-level standards, funding incentives and national execution aligned to 2040 targets can unlock faster corridors and more reliable international services.
Some elements could arrive sooner than new track. The legislative push on booking and data-sharing aims to simplify journeys within the current network, while incremental line upgrades and signalling modernisation may reduce times before full high-speed alignments are built. External coverage notes the Commission’s proposal to require operator data-sharing for multi-leg tickets.
Illustrative timings in the plan are indicative and depend on national investment decisions, permitting, and supply-chain capacity. The Commission lists 2030 for Berlin–Copenhagen and 2035 for Sofia–Athens among its targets; it also flags faster Tallinn–Riga and a future Paris–Lisbon link via Madrid.
Whether the package can compress Berlin–Copenhagen to four hours by the end of the decade, roughly halve Sofia–Athens by the mid-2030s, and deliver other headline cuts will depend on project pipelines and sustained coordination across borders. The Commission says it will provide a financing strategy and pursue legislative changes in 2026 to support integrated ticketing and strengthened passenger rights.
For now, the proposal sets a benchmark and a timetable against which progress can be measured, with consumer groups and operators broadly in favour of the direction and independent experts highlighting the need for concrete projects, funding clarity and accelerated implementation.
