🚄 It is Europe’s chance to get High-Speed Rail (HSR) right: The EU’s new HSR Master Plan by Transport Commissioner Tzitzikostas is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. But new rail infrastructure and subsidies alone will not deliver. 

Without competition and urgent regulatory reform, Europe risks more of the costly high-speed “white elephants” – this has happened in the past.

💡The evidence is clear: Where new entrant operators compete on the same tracks as incumbents (e.g. in Italy, Spain, Czech Republic and Sweden), fares drop, ridership soars and infrastructure is finally used to its full potential. Market opening is the game-changer.

🌍Our message: The Master Plan must go beyond taxpayer subsidy – it must open the market. That means affordable track charges, fair access to rolling stock, transparent ticketing for passengers, and strong independent regulators. Only then will Europe achieve affordable mobility, modal shift, and a world-class HSR system.