The planned Travel System for Europe, which was scheduled to be launched in 2021, is now being delayed once again. The system aimed to better connect Europe with direct, high-speed trains and improved connections between capitals.
According to an EU Council document, the project is now set to launch in 2025, just four years from now. The delays are reportedly due to technical, operational, and cost issues.
The expansion of the scheme would have included a high-speed network of more than 15,000 kilometers of existing lines, plus a further 6,000 kilometers of new ones.
However, the document argued that the project came with “unprecedented levels of complexity” that hadn’t been foreseen when the project was planned. These include engineering problems such as the lack of adequate tunnels for high-speed trains, the limited capacity of existing single-track sections and the need to re-route and re-design many existing sections.
The document also noted that the total cost of the project has increased from an initial estimated figure of €50 billion to €82 billion.
In addition, the project was due to link 41 European capitals. However, this number is expected to drop to 37 due to some countries either lacking the infrastructure or being unwilling to participate in the scheme.
At the same time, the document warned that it is important for the EU to continue progress towards the project in order to ensure that its ambitious goals are met and that it is a success in the long-term.
