EU’s high-speed rail network could cost €546bn and cut cross-border journey times
The European Commission’s plan, unveiled in November, aims to connect major cities and make train travel a faster alternative to short flights. It estimates the network would cost €345bn, rising to €546bn in a more ambitious scenario that would roughly triple today’s high-speed network; the Commission is seeking EU, national and private funding.
Bottom line — The Commission targets Berlin–Copenhagen in four hours by 2030, but the €345bn plan still needs funding.
Go deeper 6
-
The Commission’s targets include cutting Berlin–Copenhagen from about seven hours to four by 2030, and Sofia–Athens from almost 14 hours to about six by 2035.
-
Switzerland Global Enterprise says the plan is not one megaproject: national infrastructure managers would handle most procurement, with cross-border coordination.
-
According to Switzerland Global Enterprise, corridor work plans are due by mid-2026, with decisions expected by 2027; the first new routes are expected by 2030.
-
Switzerland Global Enterprise estimates the network’s expected net benefits to society at about €750bn.
-
Eurocities and railway-industry group CER say a connected network could attract more than half of long-distance travellers in the future.
-
Eurocities and CER are calling for local and regional transport links to be integrated with high-speed services, alongside coordinated investment and affordable fares.