European Commission to support long-distance railway lines, Prague–Copenhagen connection on the list
According to the first statements of the European Commission, the support will be mainly intangible.
The European Commission wants to support over ten cross-border long-distance rail connections across the EU. It wants to improve the offer of rail connections, making them faster, more frequent and more affordable, and help shift passengers from cars and planes to trains. The list of supported routes includes a new connection from Prague to Copenhagen.
European Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean announced the plan in a press release. The list includes both state-owned and private operators. According to the press release, the support will go to established as well as new routes. These were selected after consultations with the countries and operators.
The Commission said it wanted to help operators overcome barriers to enter this segment. As follows from the available information, support for the connections will be intangible rather than financial. The Commission said it would focus mainly on coordinating cooperation and possibly promoting new routes.
List of planned routes to be supported
Vienna – Budapest – Oradea
Munich – Budapest – Arad
Stockholm – Berlin (night train, operator SJ)
Hamburg – Gothenburg (SJ)
Prague – Berlin – Copenhagen (cooperation between ČD, DB and DSB)
Leipzig – Copenhagen – Stockholm (Flixtrain)
Paris – Milan – Venice (Midnight Trains)
Munich – Zurich (Flixtrain)
Munich – Budapest (Westbahn)
Amsterdam – London (NS + Eurostar)
Amsterdam – Barcelona (European Sleeper)
Rome – Munich (FS/DB)
Lisbon – La Coruña – Madrid (ILSA)
Catalonia – Southern France (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya)