photo: Jim Nix / Flickr/Kings Cross, London, England
Europe’s rail associations have voiced strong support for the European Commission’s proposal to continue the CEF under the 2028–2034 EU budget.
UIRR and nine other signatory associations representing Europe’s railway sector, including passenger and freight operators, infrastructure and terminal managers, rolling stock lessors and rail suppliers, has welcomed the European Commission’s proposal to continue the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) as part of the EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034.
The proposal is supported by Commissioner for Transport and Sustainable Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas and ensures the continuation of dedicated funding for a resilient, interoperable Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The rail sector will now work to promote and strengthen the CEF proposal in the months ahead.
Under the Commission’s plan, the CEF Transport budget rises to €45.7 billion. Of this, €30 billion covers traditional CEF Transport measures, while €15.7 billion is allocated to military mobility, making it a major increase from the previous €2 billion.
The Strategic Imperative
Rail infrastructure and operations form the backbone of European civil and military connectivity. They keep the Single Market moving, link regions and cities, and ensure the secure transport of troops and equipment across Europe. An interoperable and resilient network, as envisioned in the TEN-T Regulation, remains essential to both European security and economic competitiveness.
Despite decades of progress toward a Single European Railway Area, bottlenecks persist throughout the core and comprehensive TEN-T network, especially at international links, urban nodes, and multimodal hubs where seamless transitions remain difficult. Eliminating these bottlenecks is crucial for enhancing passenger and freight services, as well as enabling dual-use mobility.
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Financing the Future
The future CEF will finance cross-border and dual-use infrastructure projects while supporting smart, sustainable, and resilient transport systems. The rail sector sees this as a positive and strategic signal from the Commission.
The signatories point out the importance of sufficient funding for interoperable systems such as ERTMS, the development of high-speed rail and multimodal hubs, and ensuring that defence-related investments also improve everyday passenger mobility.
The associations AERRL, ALLRAIL, CER, CT4EU, EIM, ERFA, UIP, UITP, UIRR, and UNIFE call on Member States and the European Parliament to maintain the CEF’s ambition and boost its firepower for the timely completion of the TEN-T network.
Source: UIRR Joint Statement