Smart and affordable rail services in the EU: a socio-economic and environmental study for High-Speed in 2030 and 2050

This report presents the main findings underpinning the establishment of a European High-Speed Rail (HSR) Network connecting the main European cities and regions, combining investments in constructing creating/upgrading new HSR lines and upgrading the digitalisation and automation of existing ones, i.e. ERTMS.

Contracted by Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-RAIL) in collaboration with the Alliance of Passenger Rail New Entrants in Europe (ALLRAIL), the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the European Rail Supply Industry (UNIFE), the study confirms that investing in a comprehensive European HSR network will deliver added value to European society and massively reduce the environmental footprint of European passenger transport. The report proposes a master plan for a HSR network connecting all EU capitals and major cities and calls on the European Commission and Member States for a coordinated implementation with sufficient funding in the next decades. Such a comprehensive network, at least tripling the existing HSR network, will require high investment costs averaging €550 billion, but it will in return deliver a net positive benefit in the range of €750 billion to society.

Read more in the full report below.

The study was performed by Ernst and Young in cooperation with Università Bocconi, benefiting also from data made available by ALLRAIL, CER and UNIFE.