EU Rail: €100B Funding Demand After TEN-T Deadline Missed

BRUSSELS – Europe’s top railway association is demanding a €100 billion funding floor and a drastic overhaul of project permitting after a European Court of Auditors report concluded the continent’s core transport network (TEN-T) will fail to meet its 2030 deadline. The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) blames complex, uncoordinated national authorization procedures for the delays, which are inflating costs and hindering the expansion of a network already struggling with capacity constraints.

Operational & Technical Details

The European Court of Auditors’ report identifies multi-layered and slow administrative processes as a primary cause of project delays, particularly affecting critical cross-border segments. These bureaucratic hurdles significantly increase implementation costs. The report also notes that recent geopolitical crises have amplified delays, complicating the 2030 timeline assessment.

This failure to expand comes as existing infrastructure is already under severe pressure. According to Eurostar executives, Europe’s high-speed rail sector is struggling to meet rising passenger demand due to limited station and track capacity, as well as shortages in maintenance personnel. The delays in TEN-T completion directly prevent the alleviation of these bottlenecks.

The auditors also highlighted poor coordination in deploying the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). In response, the CER supports creating a dedicated program manager, under European Commission oversight, to enforce a unified implementation schedule across the EU.

Market Impact Analysis

The confirmed failure to meet the 2030 TEN-T deadline directly jeopardizes the EU’s strategic goals for the Green Deal and a seamless single transport market. “Delays can no longer be treated as exceptions,” stated Alberto Mazzola, CER Executive Director, stressing the need for systemic change.

The call for a €100 billion funding floor for the CEF reflects the financial reality of rising infrastructure costs compounded by project delays. The industry’s push for streamlined permitting mirrors initiatives in other EU sectors, such as the proposed Digital Networks Act for telecoms, which aims to create a “single passport system” to provide services across the bloc. Adopting a similar model for rail infrastructure could cut through national red tape.

The European Commission has already initiated infringement proceedings against five Member States for failing to properly implement the 2021 Smart TEN-T Directive, highlighting that national-level non-compliance remains a core barrier to progress.

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