Cross-Border Train Rides to Get Easier, Faster, and Cheaper

Ten pilot projects have been greenlit by the European Commission to expand rail services or improve existing ones, facilitating cross-border connections all over Europe in a faster, more frequent, and more affordable way.

“While demand for green mobility is growing, we need the rail market to respond much better and much faster, especially for long and cross-border journeys,” explains European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean. “This is why the European Commission now wants to help rail companies create new international train connections – by day and by night – by breaking down the many barriers to cross-border rail.”

In December 2021, the Commission adopted its Action Plan to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail, which led to the selection of 10 proposals that identified obstacles obstructing the uptake and operation of cross-border passenger rail services and offer measures to address them. Some projects are meant to expand rail services – like Nederlandse Spoorwegen proposing to enhance the existing Amsterdam-London service, in cooperation with Eurostar – while others propose new rail services – for instance, Midnight Trains is offering a new night train service connecting Paris, Milan, and Venice. “I’m looking forward to working with the rail sector to make these 10 pilots a success and to inspire many more to join!”