The European Commission presented today a large-scale proposal for the construction of high-speed railway lines in the European Union by 2040, including the Sofia-Athens route. The project envisages that the travel time between the two capitals will be reduced from 13 hours and 40 minutes to just 6 hours, BTA reports.
Among the other planned high-speed sections are the lines Budapest-Bucharest, Berlin-Copenhagen, Berlin-Vienna-Prague, Paris-Madrid-Lisbon, Munich-Rome, as well as routes connecting the Baltic states. The aim is for trains on these lines to reach speeds of at least 200 km/h.
The project also includes measures to make it easier to purchase tickets, as well as incentives for trading in second-hand machines and wagons.
The main objective of the initiative is to reduce dependence on short-haul flights by encouraging rail transport - a more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative. According to the Commission, this will help both to limit harmful emissions and to relieve road congestion and improve military mobility within the EU.
The EC also indicates that by 2027, nearly 3 billion euros will be provided for the development of clean aviation fuels, and by 2035, investments in this direction will reach 100 billion euros.