Photo by SaucE ReQuEs/Adobe

High-speed rail services like this train at Madrid’s Puerta de Atocha station illustrate the scale of upgrades envisioned under the EU’s plan to complete core TEN-T high-speed corridors by 2040 and expand standardized, cross-border operations across the continent.

Europe plans to complete a continent-wide high-speed rail network by 2040, a proposal the European Commission says would sharply cut travel times between major cities and expand the existing 12,128-km system in the 27-member European Union.

Announced Nov. 5 in Brussels, the initiative is based on the updated Trans-European Transport Network regulation adopted in 2024, which mandates member states to complete core and extended-core corridors by 2040 and establish continuous high-speed links between all EU capitals.

The plan sets minimum standards requiring all upgraded lines to support at least 200 km/h trains and all new high-speed lines to support those at 250 km/h or more.

Officials said the move aims to shift passengers from short-haul air routes to electrified rail, reduce emissions in the transport sector and increase capacity on key north–south and east–west corridors.

To meet the 2040 binding target, which requires every cross-border high-speed segment on the core Trans-European Transport Network to be completed by that year, the Commission is directing each member state to submit new national implementation plans by 2027.

The plans must include detailed construction timelines, cross-border commitments and domestic funding strategies. They must also outline how countries will address remaining bottlenecks on major corridors such as the Scandinavian–Mediterranean, North Sea–Baltic, Rhine–Danube and Mediterranean routes.

The Commission’s long-term vision extends beyond 2040, aiming for a continent-wide, unified network by 2050 that operates above 200 km/h and, where feasible, “well above 250 km/h.” Achieving that broader system would require substantial expansion far beyond the legally mandated core build-out.

Concept vs Cost

While the Commission did not provide a single capital-cost figure in its formal communication, Bloomberg* *reported that the agency estimates it will take about $371 billion to complete the core and extended-core high-speed network by 2040.

European Commission graphic highlights proposed new high-speed rail connections and projected future travel times between major cities as part of the EU’s 2040 core network build-out and longer-term 2050 vision for a unified system. Image courtesy of European Commission.

The Guardian cited a figure of $587 billion tied to a broader Commission analysis of what it would cost to expand the network beyond the 2040 core build-out and raise operating speeds above 250 km/h across a system roughly three times its current size.

Execution relies heavily on standardizing technology across countries, particularly signaling through the European Rail Traffic Management System.

The plan requires all core-network high-speed corridors to be fully equipped with the unified signaling system by 2040, replacing the patchwork of national systems that constrain cross-border operations. Commission staff noted that ongoing interoperability failures continue to hinder performance and prevent expected travel-time reductions.

“Without full [European Rail Traffic Management System] deployment on the core network, high-speed services will continue to face technical barriers at national borders that limit their speed, frequency and reliability,” the Commission said in its Nov. 5 communication.

Travel-time projections from the Commission’s internal analysis include reducing Berlin-to-Copenhagen trips from seven hours to four by 2030 and cutting Sofia-to-Athens travel from about 14 hours to six by 2035.

Lisbon-to-Madrid journeys could drop to roughly three hours based on upgrades already programmed into Portuguese and Spanish infrastructure plans.

Major new construction will be required for several corridors, particularly in eastern and southeastern Europe. The Commission’s technical annex identifies significant gaps in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic states, where high-speed mileage remains limited.

Chart illustrates projected reductions in rail travel times between major European cities under the European Commission’s high-speed rail goals for 2040, based on current network performance and planned TEN-T corridor upgrades. Chart by ENR. Sources: Bloomberg, European Commission.

Open full-size chart in a new tab

Those countries will have to build most of their required segments as greenfield lines, including tunnels, viaducts and dedicated high-speed alignments to connect Warsaw, Bucharest, Sofia and Vilnius into the wider network.

Western Europe will require fewer greenfield projects but faces substantial capacity upgrades on high-density corridors in France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

Financing relies on a mix of EU instruments and national resources. The Commission said it expects to use the Connecting Europe Facility, InvestEU and European Investment Bank lending programs to support high-speed packages, particularly for cross-border segments where EU co-financing rates are highest.

The effort spans multiple EU budget cycles, meaning large portions of the network will depend on funding decisions made after 2028.

Analysts caution that achieving the 2040 deadline will require sustained political support from all member states. Jon Worth, a European rail expert, told the Guardian the plan “comes across more as a kind of aspirational hopeful, because member states have not shown the real will to build the necessary tracks.”

Even so, several national governments already have major high-speed projects underway that align with the EU vision.

Spain continues its expansion of high-speed LAV routes, Germany is advancing upgrades between Hannover and Bielefeld, Italy is building the Terzo Valico dei Giovi megaproject and Poland is preparing sections tied to its Centralny Port Komunikacyjny high-speed program.

With national implementation plans due in 2027, contractors will soon have a clearer understanding of which segments will be prioritized first—and how Europe intends to undertake its largest-ever coordinated rail expansion.

Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction and community issues. He has worked at Adweek, managed a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif., and reported on finance, law and real estate for the San Diego Daily Transcript. He later served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and was managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage. Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure projects, new products and business trends across the construction sector.

email**:** gottliebb@enr.com | office**:** (248) 786-1591