COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION - SYNOPSIS REPORT Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions Connecting Europe through high-speed rail
Date: 2025-11-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: high-speed transport, intra-EU transport, mode of transport, rail network, railway industry, trans-European network, transport infrastructure, transport network

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 5.11.2025  SWD(2025) 961 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION - SYNOPSIS REPORT  Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions  Connecting Europe through high-speed rail {COM(2025) 903 final} - {SWD(2025) 960 final}  
 
 
Table of Contents 
1. 

Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2 

2.  Summary of stakeholder feedback .................................................................................... 3 

2.1 Call for evidence ............................................................................................................. 3 

2.1.1 Breakdown of responses ........................................................................................... 3 

2.2 Consultation of the Single European Railway Area Forum (SERAF) ................................ 5 

2.2.1 Coordinated planning ............................................................................................... 6 

2.2.2 An attractive and affordable passenger-centred rail offer .......................................... 7 

2.2.3 Interoperability ........................................................................................................ 8 

2.3. Implementation Dialogue on High-Speed Rail chaired by the Commissioner for 
Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas .................................................. 9 

2.3.1 Infrastructure and investment needs ....................................................................... 10 

2.3.2 Construction and cost challenges ............................................................................ 10 

2.3.3 Market competition and entry barriers ................................................................... 10 

2.3.4 Passenger experience and rights .............................................................................. 10 

2.3.5 Supply industry and innovation .............................................................................. 11 

2.4 Economic Coordination Council (CCE) ......................................................................... 11 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
1. Introduction 

This staff working document accompanies the Communication from the European Commission 
on  Connecting  Europe  through  high-speed  rail  (‘HSR  Communication’).  It  contains 
information  on  the  overall  stakeholder  consultation  activities  conducted  in  the  preparatory 
phase of the Communication. 

Stakeholders  were  consulted  in  line  with  the  Better  Regulation  framework1,  ensuring  a 
transparent,  meaningful  and  proportionate  approach  to  consultation.  This  enabled  the 
Commission to: (i) get useful feedback from a wide range of stakeholders; (ii) take the views 
of these stakeholders into account; and (iii) reflect these stakeholders’ messages in the HSR 
Communication where relevant. 

The HSR  Communication  focuses on the challenges and opportunities  related to  improving 
high-speed rail connectivity. The feedback received from stakeholders informed the identified 
issues  and  the  actions  to  address  them  set  out  in  the  Communication  to  reach  its  three 
overarching objectives: 

1.  coordinated planning, financing and deployment of interoperable rail infrastructure; 
2.  an attractive and affordable passenger-centred rail service offer, based on a competitive 

and profitable business model for operators; 

3.  a  competitive  and  innovative  EU  rail  supply  industry  delivering  interoperable  rail 

modernisation with standardised European equipment. 

Before  presenting  the  dedicated  consultation  activities  carried  out  to  prepare  the  HSR 
Communication, it is worth mentioning a number of past initiatives that involved stakeholder 
consultations and that have been considered in the Communication.  

An extensive case study on high-speed rail and the European long-distance passenger network 
was conducted in the framework of the 2021 evaluation of Regulation (EU) 1315/2013 on the 
development of the trans-European transport network (the TEN-T Regulation)2. The results of 
that study were taken into account in the Regulation’s revision, which was adopted in 20243. 
The study included an accessibility and connectivity analysis and considered the costs, benefits 
externalities and network effects of high-speed rail.  

Moreover,  in  the  framework  of  the  reporting  obligation  set  out  in  Directive  2012/34/EU 
establishing a single European rail area4, the Commission consulted the regulatory bodies in 
Member States that have an established high-speed system on the development of this market.  

An extensive stakeholder consultation was also carried out in the framework of the European 
Parliament  Pilot  Project  (study  on  Long-distance  cross-border  passenger  rail  services)  that 
served as input to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and 
the Council: Action plan to boost long-distance and cross-border passenger rail5 . 

Building on the information already received from these initiatives, the Commission requested 
stakeholder feedback via the following consultation channels: 

1 Better regulation - European Commission 
2 SWD(2021) 117 final. 
3 Regulation (EU) 2024/1679. 
4 Article 63(1). 
5 COM(2021) 810. 

2 

 
 
 
the Single European Rail Area Forum (SERAF); 

•  a call for evidence; 
• 
•  an implementation dialogue on high-speed rail; 
• 
the Economic Coordination Council (CCE) 

Chapter 2 summarises the input received from these consultations. 

2. Summary of stakeholder feedback 

2.1 Call for evidence 

The main tool for public stakeholder engagement was a call for evidence, which was published 
on 10 April 2025 and open for feedback until 8 May 2025 on the Commission’s ‘Have your 
say’ portal. The call for evidence was available in all EU languages, and contributions could 
be made in all EU languages. All stakeholders were invited to provide views on the political 
context,  the  problems  the  HSR  Communication  aims  to  tackle,  the  need  for  EU  action,  its 
objectives and likely impacts. 

2.1.1 Breakdown of responses 

The  call  for  evidence  received  81  responses  in  total  (see  Table  1).  Various  stakeholders 
provided  feedback  on 
input  coming  from  EU  citizens, 
companies/businesses, business associations, public authorities and NGOs. 

initiative,  with  most 

the 

Table 1. Breakdown of responses to the call for evidence by category 

Category 

EU citizens 

Company/business 

Business association 

Public authority 

Non-governmental 
organisation (NGO) 

Trade union 

Consumer organisation 

Environmental organisation 

Academic/ research 
institution 

Non-EU citizens 

Other 

Number of respondents 

22 

13 

11 

10 

9 

5 

3 

1 

1 

2 

4 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
The  most  well-represented  Member  States  were  Belgium  (19.75%)6,  France  (18.52%),  the 
Netherlands (8.64%), Italy (7.41%) and Germany (7.41%), which together provided more than 
60% of all responses. No responses were received from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, 
Cyprus,  Greece  or  Portugal.  There  were  also  responses  from  non-EU  countries:  the  United 
Kingdom, Switzerland and Puerto Rico (one from each country). Table 2 provides a detailed 
breakdown by country of respondent. 

Table 2: Breakdown of responses to the call for evidence by country 

Country of respondent 

Number of respondents 

Belgium 

France 

The Netherlands  

Italy 

Germany 

Romania 

Austria 

Sweden 

Spain 

Czechia 

Slovakia 

Poland 

Denmark 

Latvia 

Lithuania 

Ireland 

Finland 

Estonia 

United Kingdom 

Switzerland 

Puerto Rico 

16 

15 

7 

6 

6 

4 

4 

3 

3 

3 

2 

2 

2 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 

6 Many of these contributions came from EU-level umbrella associations located in Belgium. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The  call  for  evidence  results  reveals  widespread  support  for  the  initiative,  with  many 
stakeholders  emphasising  the  importance  of  high-speed  rail  in  achieving  the  EU's  climate 
objectives and increasing its competitiveness. 

Many stakeholders called for the accelerated delivery of the TEN-T network, in line with the 
parameters  agreed  in  2024  and  the  respective  timelines,  to  achieve  seamless  cross-border 
connectivity  and address  the  EU’s east-west  disparity. They also  highlighted the need for  a 
dedicated funding strategy and innovative financing mechanisms to support high-speed rail. 

The need for an inclusive approach to high-speed rail and the importance of supporting new 
entrants was highlighted, as well as the need for interoperability to overcome fragmentation in 
the  European  high-speed  rail  network.  The  need  for  accessible  financing  for  rolling  stock, 
coordinated capacity planning and allocation, and a level playing field on VAT compared to 
air travel was also mentioned. Respondents also underlined the importance of deploying the 
European  Rail  Traffic  Management  System  and  standardising  high-speed  rolling  stock  to 
facilitate cross-border operations. 

The feedback underscored the significance of improving multimodality and addressing first- 
and last-mile connectivity challenges to  improve  the accessibility and usability of the  high-
speed rail network. Additionally, many contributions  pointed to the need  for simplified and 
seamless ticketing systems and better connectivity between urban centres. 

Placing passengers at the centre of service provision was mentioned in several contributions. 
To boost the competitiveness of high-speed rail and make it an attractive alternative to other 
modes  of  transport,  respondents  stressed  that  certain  factors  need  to  be  taken  into  account, 
including affordability, frequency of services (and predictability, for example, of maintenance 
works), easy access to information, ticketing conditions, and reliability of services. 

Addressing negative externalities (e.g. linked to  noise) and integrating social considerations 
(e.g. labour and safety standards) into the high-speed rail agenda were also mentioned. 

Overall, the call for evidence feedback reflects a strong consensus on the potential benefits of 
high-speed rail in Europe, while also highlighting the challenges and considerations that must 
be  addressed  to  ensure  successful  implementation.  The  feedback  emphasises  the  need  for 
coordinated planning, investment and regulatory frameworks to create a truly interconnected 
and sustainable European high-speed rail network. 

All contributions to the call for evidence can be read on the ‘Have your say’ website. 

2.2 Consultation of the Single European Railway Area Forum (SERAF) 

SERAF  is  an  expert  group  that  supports  the  Commission  in  the  further  implementation  of 
Directive  2012/34/EU  establishing  a  single  European  rail  area  and  the  stablishment  of  the 
Single European railway area more broadly. SERAF brings together all key stakeholders from 
the  European  railway  system  (infrastructure  managers,  railway  undertakings,  national 
ministries and enforcement bodies, NGOs, the rail supply industry) so that they can discuss 
and exchange views on policy issues related to rail market access. 

Given  the  comprehensive  coverage  of  SERAF,  one  of  the  main  targeted  stakeholder 
consultation activities was conducted via this platform. A plenary session, fully dedicated to 

5 

 
 
 
the HSR Communication, was organised on 9 April 2025 to gather input from the rail sector. 
The following bodies were represented at the plenary meeting: 

•  national ministries from 15 Member States and Switzerland; 
• 
independent regulatory bodies from 15 Member States; 
• 
infrastructure managers from 6 Member States, Norway, and Rail Net Europe (RNE); 
•  9 rail operators and the Community of European railway and infrastructure companies 

CER; 
the European  rail supply industry association (UNIFE) and Alstom; 

• 
•  environmental associations (GermanWatch, Transport and Environment (T&E); 
• 

industry  associations  (Association  of  European  rail  rolling  stock  lessors  (AERRL), 
International rail transport committee (CIT), International union for road-rail combined 
transport (UIRR), International union for public transport (UITP)); 
• 
the European passenger association (EPF); 
•  European transport workers’ federation (ETF)); 
• 
• 
• 
•  Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-RAIL) 

the ticketing sector (Trainline); 
the network of major European cities (Eurocities); 
the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA); 

The  main  contributions  from  this  consultation  event  on  the  main  topics  of  the  HSR 
Communication are summarised below. 

2.2.1 Coordinated planning 
Stakeholders  emphasised  the  critical  need  for  coordinated  planning  to  accelerate  the 
development  of  cross-border  high-speed  rail  (HSR)  infrastructure.  Infrastructure  managers 
(IMs) highlighted the necessity of integrating low and high-speed networks, as well as freight 
and passenger transport. Securing financial resources for large-scale infrastructure projects 
was a major concern for many stakeholders. IMs acknowledged the importance of exploring 
innovative financing models, such as public-private partnerships, to attract private investment. 
At  the  same  time,  IMs  and  regulatory  bodies  highlighted  the  need  to  carefully  analyse  the 
potential  impact  of  such  models  on  track  access  charges,  which  could  be  higher  if  private 
investors’  profit  expectations  have  to  be  met.  The  significance  of  preserving  the  ability  to 
support  cross-border  projects  with  EU  funding  in  the  EU’s  next  long-term  budget  (the 
multiannual  financial  framework)  was  underscored  by  various  stakeholders.  EU  funding 
should be used for sections that are important for EU/cross-border travel. 

Stakeholders called for effective collaboration between national authorities, IMs and railway 
undertakings (RUs) to ensure smooth project implementation. Some regulatory bodies (RBs) 
raised questions about harmonising planning standards across Member States, highlighting the 
need for a unified approach to planning and financing cross-border HSR infrastructure. 

Several  participants  highlighted  the  need  for  harmonising  technical  standards  and 
regulations to ensure interoperability. IMs emphasised the importance of completing the trans-
European  transport  network  (TEN-T)  and  setting  standards  to  facilitate  cross-border 
operations.  Environmentally  engaged  stakeholders  stressed  the  importance  of  reducing  the 
environmental  impact  of  new  HSR  infrastructure  by  incorporating  low  carbon  construction 

6 

 
 
materials  and  promoting  sustainable  solutions.  They  emphasised  the  need  for  coordinated 
planning to tackle high costs and the environmental impacts associated with HSR projects. 

IMs  and  RBs  identified  several  barriers  to  the  timely  implementation  of  HSR  projects, 
including high costs, lengthy permitting processes and bureaucratic obstacles. They suggested 
actions to improve coordination, such as simplifying and accelerating permitting procedures 
and reducing administrative burdens. 

Stakeholders suggested developing  joint strategic plans and investment programmes for 
cross-border lines. Conducting joint feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments 
and  ensuring  the  prioritisation  of  cross-border  projects  in  national  long-term  infrastructure 
development plans were recommended actions to improve coordination. 

Increasing the availability and improving the coordination of EU funding instruments was 
also emphasised by stakeholders. They suggested exploring innovative financing models and 
creating mechanisms for a fair and efficient allocation of costs and benefits among participating 
countries.  Better  financial  coordination  was  deemed  essential  to  support  the  timely 
implementation of HSR projects. One consumer organisation deemed a doubling of the funds 
for the Connecting Europe Facility necessary. 

Fostering stronger collaboration and dialogue among all stakeholders was highlighted as a 
key  aspect  of  coordinated  planning  for  rail  services.  Ensuring  transparency  and  public 
consultation throughout the planning and implementation processes was recommended to gain 
public support and address concerns from various stakeholders, including local communities 
and interest groups. 

Stakeholders  also  emphasised  the  importance  of  addressing  capacity  bottlenecks  and 
ensuring seamless connectivity across the HSR network. 

Accelerating  the  adoption  and  enforcement  of  common  technical  specifications  for 
interoperability  for  infrastructure,  signalling  and  rail  vehicles  was  a  key  recommendation 
from stakeholders. They called for harmonising safety and operational rules to ensure seamless 
cross-border operations. 

Promoting  the  deployment  of  common  and  interoperable  digital  solutions,  such  as  the 
European  Rail  Traffic  Management  System  and  other  intelligent  transport  systems,  was 
recommended to improve connectivity and reduce costs and timelines. Encouraging innovation 
in the design of integrated infrastructure, its construction and operation was deemed crucial to 
improve efficiency and sustainability. 

Improving the monitoring of progress on cross-border projects and ensuring that Member 
States meet their obligations under the TEN-T Regulation was emphasised by stakeholders. 
They called for the European Commission to play a stronger role in overseeing and enforcing 
the timely implementation of the HSR network. 

2.2.2 An attractive and affordable passenger-centred rail offer 

Stakeholders emphasised the significance of efficient capacity allocation to ensure the success 
of high-speed rail services. They suggested pre-planning capacity and improving the planning 
of temporary capacity restrictions to improve business predictability and customer experience, 

7 

 
 
in line with the proposed Regulation on rail capacity7. Participants drew attention to the fact 
that operators often need long-term assurances of capacity to secure financing for new rolling 
stock, and vice-versa. 

Varying and high track access charges (TACs) levied by national IMs were identified as a 
challenge,  particularly  for  new  entrants.  Ensuring  fair  and  proportionate  TACs,  including 
possible  discounts  for  new  entrants,  was  highlighted  as  essential  to  maintaining  the 
competitiveness of rail with other modes of transport. 

Participants mentioned difficulties in acquiring rolling stock, in particular the high price of 
new rolling stock, difficulties in securing financing (in particular for new entrants) and long 
lead times. 

Availability of maintenance and service facilities was reported as a barrier for new entrants. 

Stakeholders  emphasised  the  need  to  improve  service  quality,  reliability,  and  passenger 
comfort to make rail travel more attractive, including by investing in new rolling stock. Many 
stressed  the  importance  of  simplifying  the  ticketing  process  to  attract  more  passengers. 
Integrated ticketing systems and real-time passenger information across different operators and 
countries were recommended to facilitate seamless cross-border journeys, as well as improved 
passenger rights, for example, by providing assistance with rerouting after a disruption. 

Participants  suggested  improving  multimodal  connectivity  to  improve  the  overall  travel 
experience and promote a modal shift towards rail. This could be achieved through better rail 
connections to airports and other modes of transport. Development of HSR should not happen 
at the expense of conventional rail. IMs highlighted the importance of connecting long-distance 
rail services to conventional rail and other modes of transport to benefit both cities and regions. 
Finally,  operators  mentioned  the  need  to  provide  financial  support  to  rail  services  that  are 
requested to serve destinations that are not economically viable. 

Several participants stressed the need to reduce the prices of train tickets to make rail travel 
more attractive and accessible. RBs mentioned the importance of fair and proportionate track 
access  charges  to  ensure  competitiveness  with  other  modes  of  transport.  Stakeholders, 
including  industry  and  advocacy  groups,  suggested  exploring  measures  such  as  VAT 
exemptions for EU cross-border train journeys to improve affordability. 

Stakeholders  highlighted  the  importance  of  maintaining  and  renewing  existing  lines  to 
ensure the reliability and safety of rail services. They also stressed that the HSR plan should 
consider the need for skilled labour. 

2.2.3 Interoperability 
Several  stakeholders  emphasised  the  need  for  improving  the  interoperability  of  railway 
infrastructure  and  rolling  stock  across  the  EU.  IMs,  RUs  and  industry  representatives 
highlighted  the  importance  of  deploying  modern  versions  of  the  European  Rail  Traffic 
Management System (ERTMS). They stressed the need for harmonising the requirements for 
integrated infrastructure, the ERTMS and vehicles at EU-level and removing national rules to 
ensure  smooth  train  operations  across  networks.  They  called  for  increased  monitoring  and 

7 COM(2023)443. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
inspection  capacity  in  the  Commission  or  the  European  Union  Agency  for  Railways  to 
implement the ERTMS roll-out efficiently. Moreover, they proposed optimising authorisation 
processes and, based on further EU-level harmonisation, stable technical specifications to allow 
for long-term planning and production. 

RBs stressed the need for a unified certification process for train drivers across the EU. Many 
stakeholders emphasised the importance of delivering stable technical specifications that do 
not require add-ons in national law. They called for the removal of redundant national rules to 
ensure interoperability and reduce project costs and investment risks. 

Participants advocated for the standardisation of rolling stock, which would boost the leasing 
market for high-speed trains and achieve economies of scale. They suggested promoting the 
development of common European standards for rolling stock, infrastructure components and 
signalling systems. 

Industry  representatives  called  for  increased  public  and  private  investment  in  research, 
development and innovation in the European rail supply industry. They highlighted the need 
for  collaboration  between  research  institutions,  universities  and  rail  supply  companies  to 
develop  innovative  technologies.  Stakeholders  suggested  promoting  the  uptake  of  digital 
solutions,  such  as  artificial  intelligence,  the  Internet  of  Things  and  big  data  analytics,  to 
improve interoperability and efficiency. 

RBs  highlighted  ongoing  efforts  to  optimise  certification  and  authorisation  processes, 
supported  by  stable  technical  specifications,  and  to  improve  the  availability  of  compliance 
assessors. They called for optimising testing and re-authorisation processes for refurbishment 
and retrofitting to extend the life of rail assets and boost the rail sector’s competitiveness. 

Industry  representatives  suggested  implementing  public  procurement  practices  that 
emphasise  quality,  innovation,  sustainability  and  life-cycle  costs.  They  called  for  fair 
competition and transparency in tender processes to support the development of the European 
high-speed rail network. 

2.3. Implementation Dialogue on High-Speed Rail chaired by the 
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos 
Tzitzikostas 
The Implementation Dialogue on High-Speed Rail (HSR) was held on 15 April 2025. It was 
attended by 45 high-level stakeholders from rail operators, infrastructure managers, passenger 
organisations,  cities  and  civil  society,  trade  unions,  private  investors,  rolling  stock  leasing 
companies,  construction  and  engineering  companies,  the  European  Investment  Bank  (EIB), 
ERA and the EU Rail Joint Undertaking. The exchanges covered implementing high-speed rail 
from  different  angles,  including  planning,  construction,  financing,  rail  operations  and 
passenger experience. 

Participants expressed broad support for the Commission’s preparatory work on the plan to 
connect Europe by high-speed rail and emphasised the need for balance: the development of 
HSR  should  not  disadvantage  conventional  rail  services,  which  are  important  for  regional 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
connectivity. At the same time, some participants consider ‘real HSR’ (speeds over 250 km/h) 
to be important for commercially viable long-distance rail services. 

The main overarching messages described below emerged from the Dialogue. 

2.3.1 Infrastructure and investment needs 

•  Need to overcome capacity bottlenecks with the help of the Regulation on rail capacity 

• 

proposed in 2023 and new infrastructure investments. 
Importance  of  stable  long-term  funding  and  continued  EU-level  funding  for  cross-
border infrastructure projects. 

•  Encouragement to explore involving possible private finance using various instruments 
(EU guarantees, blending instruments, green bonds, regulated asset base model8). 

2.3.2 Construction and cost challenges 

•  Reducing  permitting  delays and addressing labour shortages to  speed up  delivery of 

projects. 

•  Economies of scale and increased harmonisation of rail system components suggested 

to reduce infrastructure costs. 
Integration of sustainability criteria and innovation in design phases. 

• 

2.3.3 Market competition and entry barriers 

•  Need to  reduce barriers for new entrant operators as more competition will improve 
affordability  and  customer  choice.  Issues  to  address  include  access  to  rolling  stock, 
interoperability and track access charges. 

•  Simplification of vehicle authorisations for cross-border train operations. 
•  Better coordination of ERTMS deployment to strengthen interoperability and safety. 
•  Trade unions  cautioned against more market  opening,  which they felt would  lead to 
fragmentation and reduced reliability of services as well as lower labour standards. The 
upcoming  review  of  the  Train  Drivers  Directive9  could  be  a  good  way  to  improve 
training standards and make the profession more attractive to young people. 

2.3.4 Passenger experience and rights 

• 

Improved ticketing systems suggested to broaden accessibility and improve passenger 
experience. 

•  Reviewing passenger rights to ensure protection against travel disruptions or delays. 
•  Calls for a level playing field across transport modes, including the suggestion of zero 
VAT on train tickets and better internalisation of external costs through energy taxation. 

8 Regulated asset base model (or RAB) is a financing model for regulated infrastructure projects, providing support 
for their design, construction, commissioning, and operation. In this model, private or corporatised state-owned 
companies act as the infrastructure manager: they own, invest in and operate infrastructure assets according to the 
provisions of an agreement with the regulator. The infrastructure manager receives charges revenue from users 
and/or subsidies to fund its operations and recoup investment costs as decided with the regulator 
9 Train drivers – improved EU certification scheme. 

10 

 
 
 
2.3.5 Supply industry and innovation 

•  Long-term predictability of orders to allow the rail supply industry to take investment 

decisions. 

•  Reduction of unnecessary national technical and operational rules. 
•  Encouragement for sustained investment in rail research and development. 
•  Reform of public procurement rules to emphasise best value, not just lower costs. 

2.4 Economic Coordination Council (CCE) 

The CCE is  an advisory board created in  2002 under the patronage of Member States. The 
board’s initial role was to advise national governments on the basis of non-representation of 
interests on sectoral economic issues dealt with by the European Council and/or included in 
the biannual programmes of successive presidencies. 

The CCE monitors the development of EU policies in areas such as financial services, climate 
and energy, environment, transport and infrastructure, competitiveness and industrial policy, 
and digitalisation. Since its creation, the CCE has been asked to draft reports and contributions 
for both the European institutions and national governments. The Commission asked the CCE 
to provide preparatory notes as input to the HSR Communication. The preparatory notes were 
drafted with the contributions of 20 experts from leading European companies in the railway 
sector, included infrastructure managers, HSR operators (both incumbents and new entrants), 
railway  manufacturers  and  technology  providers,  and  from  the  financial  sector,  including 
merchant banks, national promotional banks, and institutional investors (both private equity 
funds and pension funds). A working meeting to discuss the findings took place on 6 May 2025 
between the group of experts and Commission representatives. 

The  notes  focus  on  the  strategic,  regulatory  and  financial  enablers  needed  to  accelerate  the 
deployment of HSR in the EU, offering structured assessments and recommendations across 
infrastructure, rolling stock, market design, financing and service integration. They highlight 
the importance of: 

•  cross-border connectivity, infrastructure completion and operational alignment; 
interoperability, especially ERTMS deployment and rolling stock compatibility; 
• 
•  EU funding mechanisms as enablers to realise high-speed rail projects; 
• 

service design,  including competition,  digital ticketing, multimodal hubs and air-rail 
links; 
framework agreements to unlock private investment and market entry. 

• 

11