Brussels Prepares €546 Billion High-Speed Rail Blueprint to Halve Journey Times

The European Commission is poised to unveil an ambitious high-speed rail strategy tomorrow that envisions tripling the continent's existing network by 2040, requiring investment estimated at €546 billion to transform cross-border connectivity and challenge short-haul aviation.

Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas will present the plan on 5 November following extensive stakeholder consultations with railway operators, passenger organisations, and private investors. The initiative builds upon the Trans-European Transport Network framework, which has already allocated €34.4 billion through the Connecting Europe Facility to 804 rail infrastructure projects across member states.

The blueprint targets dramatic reductions in journey times between major European capitals. Berlin to Copenhagen would shrink from seven hours to four by 2030, whilst Sofia to Athens would become a six-hour journey by 2035, cutting travel time by more than half. New connections include the Rail Baltica project linking the Baltic states and a Paris-Lisbon route via Madrid.

Central to the strategy are measures to eliminate market barriers and reduce costs through enhanced

competition amongst operators. The Commission will propose legislative reforms in early 2026 to harmonise cross-border ticketing systems, enabling passengers to book multi-modal journeys through a single platform.

Financing remains the critical challenge. Completing the planned TEN-T high-speed network by 2040 alone requires approximately €345 billion, with the more ambitious network costing €546 billion by 2050. Brussels acknowledges public funding will prove insufficient, necessitating private investment alongside loans from institutions including the European Investment Bank.

The timing reflects growing pressure to deliver carbon-neutral transport whilst maintaining industrial competitiveness against global rivals. High-speed rail currently concentrates in Spain, France, Italy and Germany, leaving Central and Eastern European markets poorly connected. The Commission estimates full network expansion could generate societal returns exceeding €750 billion through employment creation and productivity gains.