The bloc – which will present plan this autumn – wants train travel to compete with planes on connectivity and cost
Timetables, tricky tickets and high prices: the problems with European cross-border rail travel
The European Commission will present a plan this autumn to significantly boost high-speed rail travel in Europe, the bloc’s transport commissioner has said, promising a “long-term vision for a more connected, efficient and competitive network across Europe”.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the EU’s transport commissioner, said the project would involve the “coordinated planning, financing and implementation” of high-speed rail infrastructure and of rolling stock that could operate across national borders.
The EU is determined to build genuine “passenger-centred, attractive and affordable rail services”, he said, with faster lines and smoother cross-border rail travel considered crucial to the bloc’s competitiveness and climate goals.
