On 26 June 2026, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas celebrated the launch of the first EU pilot project for a new international high-speed rail connection linking Copenhagen, Berlin and Prague, calling it a historic step for Europe's railways and the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Speaking in Berlin, Tzitzikostas highlighted that the connection runs along the Rhine-Danube and Scandinavian-Mediterranean TEN-T corridors and has already received over €1.5 billion from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). He urged Germany to reflect the Dresden–Prague rail link in its 2027 budget and called on Germany and Denmark to accelerate work on the Fehmarn Belt fixed link to ensure the tunnel and access routes open simultaneously.
The speech marks the first formal EU-level event for the pilot project, which Tzitzikostas framed as a concrete demonstration of European cooperation delivering benefits for citizens, businesses and regions. He noted that the Dresden–Prague link, once completed with speed upgrades, would cut travel time between Prague and Berlin to 2 hours 15 minutes, while the Fehmarn Belt tunnel would reduce Copenhagen–Hamburg travel to 2.5 hours and Copenhagen–Berlin to 4 hours. The Commissioner also referenced the EU Action Plan on High-Speed Rail he presented in November 2025, saying the response had been overwhelmingly positive. He listed four follow-up actions: adoption of a new work plan for the European Rail Traffic Management System, progress on EU-wide technical standardisation of rail products, work towards a High-Speed Rail Deal (with a stakeholder meeting on 25 June 2026 in Brussels), and the Passenger Mobility Package proposed in May 2026, which includes new legislation on rail ticketing aimed at enabling one journey, one ticket with full passenger rights. Tzitzikostas also noted that the regulation on railway capacity, recently adopted by co-legislators, has entered into force to improve capacity management and reduce cross-border bottlenecks.
a call for Germany to allocate funds in its 2027 budget for the Dresden–Prague link, a request for accelerated implementation of the Fehmarn Belt access routes, and a push for the European Parliament and Council to approve the proposed €51.5 billion budget for the next CEF. The policy orientation is clearly towards expanding EU-level investment and harmonisation in rail infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on cross-border connectivity and modal shift to rail. On foreign policy, the speech is internally focused on EU member states, not third countries. Stakeholder impact is significant: EU rail operators and passengers will benefit from shorter travel times and simplified ticketing, but national governments (especially Germany) face pressure to increase infrastructure spending. Rail infrastructure managers and construction firms stand to gain from accelerated project timelines, while competing transport modes (air, road) may face increased competition from faster, more seamless rail services. The importance score is 72, reflecting a significant policy development with concrete investment and regulatory measures affecting multiple stakeholders across the EU transport sector.