MEPs have backed a call to speed up the development of high-speed rail links across the EU, including better connections for major cities, regions and some neighbouring countries.
The European Parliament adopted the report on Tuesday by 558 votes in favour, 23 against and 73 abstentions, it announced on Tuesday.
The recommendations were drafted in response to the European Commission’s high-speed rail action plan and call for a European-wide network that can run seamlessly across borders and link with other forms of transport.
MEPs said high-speed rail should connect not only EU capitals but also “major urban nodes” in all regions, either through direct services or effective links into the high-speed network.
The report also urges completion of the EU’s trans-European transport network — known as TEN-T, a bloc-wide plan for major rail, road, air and waterway corridors — and identifying missing links and underserved or abandoned sections.
Funding and ticket prices
MEPs called for “adequate and dedicated” funding for high-speed rail in the EU’s next long-term budget for 2028 to 2034, including preserving and strengthening the Connecting Europe Facility, an EU funding programme for transport, energy and digital infrastructure, the Parliament said.
They also urged countries and rail operators to make high-speed tickets more affordable, including through reduced fares or subscription schemes, and called for more transparency in ticket pricing.
Rapporteur Vicent Marzà Ibáñez, a Spanish MEP for the Greens/EFA group, said a high-speed network between Europe’s main cities would shift passenger travel from planes to trains and that investment should not come at the expense of commuter and regional services.
The European Commission adopted its high-speed rail action plan in November 2025, setting out steps to create a faster and better-connected network by 2040.
