EU plans high-speed network: From Berlin to Copenhagen in four hours

Contents

Europe is large. But with faster rail connections between the capitals, the member states would feel closer to each other. However, this requires a faster, interoperable, and better-connected European rail network. And that is precisely what the European Commission now wants to focus on with an action plan for high-speed rail traffic.

Specifically, the Commission aims, for example, to reduce the travel time between Berlin and Copenhagen from 7 to 4 hours. A basic speed of 200 km/h is to be achieved in the core network. The differences are even more pronounced in Eastern and Southern Europe. Between Madrid and Lisbon, it should only take 3 instead of the current 9 hours, and between Budapest and Bucharest, it should take 6:15 instead of 15 hours. With faster rail connections, there would also be an attractive alternative to short-haul flights in the future, the Commission hopes.

Timeline with many question marks

But as appealing as the plans sound, they have a long lead time. Implementation is scheduled to take place by 2040. That would at least be faster than the German railway introduces its long-awaited Deutschlandtakt. However, since binding deadlines for the elimination of cross-border bottlenecks are only to be set by 2027, the timeline will likely need to be further specified. And presumably, the target will shift backwards rather than forwards.

The ambitious plans, however, come at a price. The Commission estimates around 345 billion euros for the completion of the planned TEN-T high-speed network by 2040 alone. An even more ambitious network with speeds well above 250 km/h would even cost up to 546 billion euros and would only be completed in 2050. What is clear is that public funds alone will not be sufficient. The EU is therefore relying on co-financing from EU subsidies, private investments, and loans from the European Investment Bank and national development banks. A so-called "High-Speed Rail Deal" is intended to define the concrete commitments of all parties involved in 2026.

Passenger rights are to be strengthened

However, the Commission is not only concerned with better train connections, it also aims for more competition. In countries like Spain and Italy, competing providers have already led to falling fares and rising passenger numbers, Brussels argues. To make it easier for new railway companies to enter the market, hurdles are to be lowered – for example, in access to stations, depots, and ticketing systems. A used market for rail vehicles is also to be promoted to reduce the high investment costs for new entrants.

It should be easier for rail passengers to book cross-border connections. To this end, ideas are to be developed on how tickets from different operators can be purchased via a unified platform. And passengers should not get lost in a jungle of responsibilities in the event of train cancellations and refunds. Instead, there should be cross-border passenger rights.

By 2030, all major EU airports with more than 12 million passengers per year are to be connected to the long-distance or high-speed network.

Plan for sustainable fuels

In addition to the high-speed network, the Commission has also presented a plan for sustainable fuels. By 2035, around 20 million tons of biofuels and e-fuels will be needed, primarily for air and sea transport. Investments of around 100 billion euros are necessary for this. By 2027, at least 2.9 billion euros are initially to be mobilized from EU funds – including 2 billion via the InvestEU funding program and 300 million via the European Hydrogen Bank. A pilot project for synthetic aviation fuels is to start as early as the end of 2025.

(mki)