Connecting Europe at High-Speed (Postponed)

Update: In light of the tragic train collision on 28 October 2026 in Spain, the event ‘Connecting Europe at High Speed’ due to take place at the European Parliament in Brussels on 4 November, has been postponed.

Almost one year ago, the European Commission published the EU Action Plan on High-Speed Rail (HSR), setting out a roadmap to accelerate HSR development across the EU. It aims to expand and modernise the network, boost capacity, improve cross-border connectivity and speed up delivery along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Achieving this will require coordinated action, targeted investment, adequate and predictable financing and an enabling permitting framework.

One year on, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) is organising a high-level debate at the European Parliament, hosted by Vice-President Antonella Sberna in cooperation with other Parliamentary groups. Building on the successful event organised with Eurocities in November 2025 to mark the launch of the European Commission’s HSR Action Plan, this second edition will ask how can we unlock the full potential of high-speed rail and overcome remaining barriers?

Looking at the progress made in the political debate, the event will take stock of Europe’s HSR network today and explore how to translate the Action Plan’s ambitions into tangible results for citizens.