European Commission proposes construction of high-speed railway EU capitals, including Bucharest

The European Commission proposed the construction of high-speed railway lines between European capitals on Wednesday, November 6, including from Bucharest to Budapest, by 2040. The goal is to reach speeds of at least 200 kilometers per hour through the development of the lines.

The plan includes high-speed sections on the lines Budapest – Bucharest, Berlin – Copenhagen, Berlin – Vienna – Prague, Paris – Madrid – Lisbon, Munich – Rome, as well as between the Baltic states.

According to the plan, by 2030, passengers will be able to travel between Berlin and Copenhagen in 4 hours, instead of the 7 hours required today. Similarly, Sofia and Athens will be a train trip of 6 hours apart, reducing travel times by more than 50%.

A trip between Bucharest and Budapest is set to take a little over 6 hours, instead of the 14-16 hours today.

The Commission emphasized that the modifications would lead to traffic decongestion and the expansion of military mobility opportunities.

The statement specified that the European Commission intends to allocate nearly EUR 3 billion for the development of “clean” aviation fuel by 2027. An allocation of EUR 100 billion for this purpose is expected by 2035.

The Commission’s proposal also includes improving ticket purchasing options. The main objective of the changes is to replace short-distance air travel to reduce environmental pollution.

Moreover, according to the plan, new legislation will support the development of a second-hand market for rolling stock. The Commission will propose, in 2027, measures to ban anticompetitive scrapping of functioning and safe rolling stock, and to establish transparent conditions for its resale and operation across all Member States.

“High-speed rail is not just about cutting travel times; it is about uniting Europeans, strengthening our economy, and leading the global race for sustainable transport. We are turning ambition into action: breaking down barriers, mobilising investments for modern infrastructure, and making cross-border rail the backbone of a carbon-neutral, competitive, and secure Europe,” said Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas.

To date, the EU has decided to support 804 rail infrastructure projects across the EU with a total of EUR 34.4 billion through the Connecting Europe Facility. This accounts for 68.76% of the total CEF investment.

(Photo source: transport.ec.europa.eu)