The European Commission has revealed ambitious plans to transform continental travel with a massive high-speed rail network that could see passengers journeying between major cities at speeds of up to 120mph.
A Vision for Continental Connectivity
Currently, many European city breaks involve hunting for budget flights with carriers like Ryanair or easyJet. However, this could soon change dramatically under new proposals that would enable travellers to hop between continental destinations at record speeds without ever boarding a plane.
The ambitious project, spearheaded by the European Commission, aims to develop comprehensive high-speed rail infrastructure across the EU member states. The fundamental goal is to provide superior connections and significantly reduced travel times between key urban centres.
One of the most dramatic improvements would be the journey from Bucharest to Budapest, which currently takes a gruelling 15 hours but would be slashed to just six hours under the new proposals. Similarly, the concept of enjoying a Friday night in Berlin followed by a Scandinavian Saturday in Copenhagen could become a practical reality for weekend travellers.
Ambitious Timelines and Transformative Targets
By 2040, the European Commission aims to halve the duration of many popular rail journeys compared to current travel times. The official plan states that completing crucial rail links between major cities will provide passengers with a genuine alternative to short-haul flights and lengthy car journeys.
Trains are projected to operate at speeds of approximately 200km/h (120mph), with certain routes identified for even higher velocities well above 250km/h (around 160mph) where feasible.
Commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, emphasised the broader significance of the initiative: "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."
He added that citizens across the Union would benefit from faster, safer, and more affordable journeys that effectively bring European nations closer together.
Substantial Investment and Implementation Challenges
However, the path to realisation remains somewhat unclear, with limited details available regarding funding mechanisms or specific locations for new track construction. European Commission estimates suggest the project will require a substantial investment between €345 billion and €546 billion.
Independent rail expert and campaigner Jon Worth expressed scepticism about the plan's concrete nature when speaking to the Guardian: "Can I name you some track that will be built or some train that will be bought as a result of today's document that wouldn't have happened otherwise? No, I can't, because ultimately it's not really a plan. It's more like a kind of aspirational, hopeful, 'this is what we like to see.'"
Phased Implementation and Key Milestones
While the complete network isn't scheduled for operation until 2040, the Commission has outlined several important interim milestones:
By 2030: Passengers will be able to travel between Berlin and Copenhagen in just 4 hours, with new connections between Baltic countries also completed.
By 2035: Train travel between Sofia and Athens will be reduced to 6 hours, and new connections between Paris and Lisbon via Madrid will become operational.
Dramatic Journey Time Reductions
An impressive map released by the European Commission illustrates the substantial journey time reductions passengers can anticipate once the rail network is fully operational:
• Paris to Rome: Reduced from 10 hours 50 minutes to 8 hours 45 minutes
• Berlin to Copenhagen: Slashed from 7 hours to just 4 hours
• Berlin to Vienna: Cut from 8 hours 10 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes
• Budapest to Bucharest: Dramatically reduced from 15 hours to 6 hours 15 minutes
• Copenhagen to Stockholm: Decreased from 5 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours
The most remarkable improvement would be the Bucharest to Sofia route, which would see journey times reduced from over 10 hours to just 6 hours.
New Direct Connections and Enhanced Accessibility
The network will also introduce brand new direct connections previously unavailable to rail travellers, including Paris to Madrid in 6 hours, Madrid to Lisbon in 3 hours, and improved Baltic links with Warsaw to Vilnius taking 4 hours and Vilnius to Riga reduced to just 2 hours.
While ticket purchasing for the complete network remains some years away, the Commission has committed to making it easier for passengers to find and purchase tickets for journeys combining services from different operators. They plan to increase passenger choice and digital access to all tickets, while making more rail tickets available on major ticketing platforms, including those from smaller rail companies.
The comprehensive plan extends beyond pure rail improvements, with commitments that by 2030, all large EU airports handling over 12 million passengers should be connected to long-distance or high-speed rail networks, potentially eliminating the stress of unreliable airport transport.
This visionary project represents one of the most significant infrastructure proposals in modern European history, potentially reshaping continental travel patterns and offering a sustainable alternative to short-haul air travel while dramatically improving connectivity between European nations.
