The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies is promoting a plan for a high-speed rail network that will connect all major cities in Europe and change the way people travel across the continent.
According to Euronews, the European Commission is expected to adopt the European High-Speed Rail Network, which will likely consist of over 30,696 miles of track carrying trains going as fast as 217 miles per hour.
CER has been working on the plan for this network for the past four to five years to achieve cleaner, more resilient transport that also allows people to get to almost anywhere far more quickly than before.
The network will likely include all European capitals, but CER also hopes to connect larger noncapital cities (those with at least 250,000 residents) to it.
If all goes as planned, this rail network will be excellent news for Europeans, as high-speed trains come with a wealth of benefits.
Perhaps the most obvious benefit is the significant reduction in air pollution that will come with the use of a high-speed rail network. Studies have determined that traveling by high-speed trains creates far less pollution than driving or flying, so Europeans will be breathing much cleaner air and likely experience better respiratory health.
High-speed trains will also reduce the amount of oil Europe uses, further reducing pollution on the continent. Additionally, people will be able to travel more freely, as journeys will be much quicker on high-speed trains, offering economic benefits and more to those who use them.
Building the rail network will also create jobs over the next several years, benefiting those working on the network and the broader economy, as they put that money back into it. In fact, CER estimates that the rail network won't be completed for at least 20 years, creating a significant number of jobs.
While the cost of building the high-speed rail network will be extensive — with one study estimating it will cost around 546 billion euros ($631 million) — it will be well worth it. As CER Executive Director Alberto Mazzola explained to Euronews: "Rail will really become the backbone of travel."
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