High-speed European rail network could be possible by 2040

"The European Commission sketched out a world where trains could reach speeds well above 250km per hour, when feasible, to ensure faster connections across the continent. If the plan is realised, rail passengers could travel betweenthe German and Danish capitals in four hours by 2030, instead of seven hours today, while Sofia and Athens would be just six hours apart by 2035, instead of nearly 14."

"On the other side of the continent, a journey between Lisbon and Madrid would be cut to three hours, down from nine. The EU transport commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, a self-declared train guy, said the plans set out how to create a faster, truly European high-speed rail [network] by 2040. The commission has predicted this would make rail travel a more appealing alternative to short-haul and possibly longer flights on many routes."

"Despite repeated calls to boost rail travel, fast cross-border train journeys remain rare. Operators focused on national priorities, inadequate infrastructure, incompatible systems, clashing regulations and fiendishly complicated ticketing means that high-speed rail has not taken off as quickly, nor spread as widely, as advocates hoped. The 12,128km of Europe's existing high-speed rail network, the commission said, is largely concentrated in four western EU member states France, Germany, Italy and Spain while central and eastern Europe rema"

The European Commission outlined plans to cut journey times and create a faster pan-European high-speed rail network by 2040. Trains could reach speeds well above 250 km/h where feasible to ensure quicker cross-border connections. Target improvements include four-hour trips between the German and Danish capitals by 2030 and six-hour journeys between Sofia and Athens by 2035. Lisbon–Madrid travel could fall to three hours and Tallinn–Riga to under two hours. Current obstacles include national operator focus, inadequate infrastructure, incompatible systems, regulatory clashes and complex ticketing. Existing high-speed lines are largely concentrated in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

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