In November 2025, the Commission published its EU High-Speed Plan. Rail is widely seen as the key to sustainable mobility; clean, efficient and capable of connecting regions across the continent. But its success ultimately depends on what happens in cities. It is in urban areas where passengers transfer, where goods are distributed, and where long-distance corridors meet local realities.
In the initiative, the EU policymakers recognised the role European capitals and cities play in completing its high-speed rail objectives. From a broader European perspective, Elodie Petrozziello, Research Associate at the European University Institute, emphasises that integration is not only about infrastructure, but about usability.
“From an academic perspective, the ideal hub is frictionless and integrates multiple transport modes efficiently,” she explains. Key features include real-time information systems, integration of different transport modes and clear passenger guidance.
Even simple multimodal hubs can work effectively if they provide clear information and smooth transitions between modes, she says. Policy also plays a decisive role when connecting the push measures (for example, congestion charges) with the pull measures (such as improved infrastructure). “Cities like London and Copenhagen demonstrate how this approach can shift behaviour,” she adds.
Prague: A complex balancing act
Jaromír Beránek, Deputy Mayor for Transport of the city of Prague, points to the transformation of the city’s main railway station into a hub combining commuter, long-distance and future high-speed services.
This integration does not come without tensions. “Integrating different transport systems is complex,” explains Beránek. “One key issue is separating local and long-distance rail traffic. Local commuters require punctual service, while long-distance trains often experience delays.”
In Prague, the city is currently working on four major studies aiming to transform existing railway stations. For example, the physical environment of stations is being reconsidered. Car traffic around stations can hinder passenger flows and complicate transfers between modes. They’re also working to integrate long-distance bus services, which are currently separate, and improve bicycle and parking infrastructure.
Governance adds another layer of difficulty: “National government priorities do not always match city needs,” Beránek says. As an example, he mentions the strong support given to new highways, which leads to more traffic instead of support for sustainable transport options.
“Overall,” he concludes, “we must balance residential development with transport infrastructure and explore opportunities such as building over railway lines to reconnect parts of the city.”
Italy: Structuring multimodal hubs around users
Luigi Contestabile, Head of Station Services Development at Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, manages 2200 stations, and 8 years ago, he and his team created a dedicated department for multimodality.
Given the limited spaces around stations, they brought together experts from different fields to establish the priorities that stand nowadays: pedestrians first, then cyclists, public transport, shared mobility, and finally private cars.
“In Italy, 15% of passengers reach stations on foot, and many live within a few kilometres. Therefore, pedestrian and cycling access is critical,” he explains.
Delivering this vision requires strong coordination with regions and cities: “We have to come together, think together, share the data, and make the projects together,” concludes Contestabile.
Berlin: Freight, space and the urban balance
“As you all know, Berlin was once a divided city,” explains Arne Herz, Berlin’s Permanent Secretary for Mobility and Transport. “During the 1948 blockade, we experienced what it meant to rely heavily on rail freight, along with the airlift response from Allied nations. This historical context still influences today’s system.”
That’s why, in the German capital, the focus is not only on moving people, but also on moving goods.
As highlighted by Herz, integrating freight into urban mobility remains a critical yet often neglected task. Most freight operations now take place in ports within the city, which are connected to rail tracks and roads. The goal is to combine environmentally friendly transport modes (rail, road, and waterways), especially in a central location. In other words, “we need to really make a relation between the railway and the connection with the urban mobility,” Herz says.
The challenge is spatial. Following reunification, large parts of the city were redeveloped, often without reserving space for transport infrastructure. Housing, green areas, and infrastructure all compete for limited land.
To address this, the city developed a planning tool within the urban rail project. “This screening tool helps identify available spaces, assess their potential use, and understand regulatory constraints. It can be reused by other cities,” explains Herz. For example, Berlin identified old stations that could be reactivated.
Herz also addresses that urban development happens quickly, and sometimes it takes decades to realise the need for new transport infrastructure. “Our goal is to preserve space for future transport needs,” she concludes. And Berlin is not the only one.
When European corridors reach the city
Beyond individual stations, European corridors from the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) bring both opportunities and pressures to cities. They enable economic growth and connectivity, but also generate congestion, emissions and land-use tensions.
In Malmö, the future Fehmarnbelt link is expected to strengthen connections between Scandinavia and continental Europe. Yet local analysis suggests that without strong policy intervention, road transport will continue to dominate. Even significant increases in rail traffic would only modestly reduce emissions, highlighting the need for stronger local planning and coordination with national and European actors.
In Lyon, the issue is capacity. The city sits at the intersection of two major European corridors and already faces rail saturation. With demand expected to grow, particularly for high-speed services, new infrastructure is needed to avoid bottlenecks that could affect both local mobility and international connections.
In Mannheim, the challenge is density. As a major inland port and rail hub located at the crossroads of several corridors, the city concentrates infrastructure, flows and impacts in a relatively compact space. This raises fundamental questions about how to balance European transport functions with local quality of life.
Meanwhile, in the Métropole du Grand Paris, attention has turned to urban logistics. With millions of goods movements each week, freight contributes significantly to emissions and road congestion. In response, authorities are working along the Seine corridor to promote river transport, develop low-carbon delivery solutions and coordinate planning across territories. Using the Seine allows for keeping freight traffic off the roads and the rail infrastructure.
Cities as the enabling link in Europe’s rail ambitions
The EU aims to create a fast, sustainable, and fully interoperable high-speed network by 2040, aiming to double high-speed traffic by 2030 and halve journey times on major routes. Key goals include decarbonising transport to meet climate targets and boosting cross-border connectivity.
These experiences all point to the same conclusion: cities are not just endpoints of transport networks; they are critical interfaces. Rail can only fulfil its potential if it connects effectively to local systems, if freight is integrated into urban planning, and if governance structures allow coordination across levels.
“We must align the interests of cities, transport operators, and freight stakeholders. Bringing these groups together enables better planning and decision making,” adds Herz. “In Italy, we formalise cooperation through agreements with regions,” explains Contestabile. “We share data, identify priority stations, and co-invest in infrastructure. Regions often fund projects, while cities and railways collaborate on design and implementation.”
What becomes clear is that Europe’s rail future will not be decided solely by building new lines or corridors. It will depend on how well cities manage the intersection between long-distance flows and everyday life.
“European funding plays a critical role. It allows us to move beyond traditional planning and develop innovative solutions, including high-speed rail and sustainable transport systems,” adds Beránek.
And in that intersection lies the real test of the rail revolution.
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These reflections emerged from discussions among European cities, infrastructure managers and researchers during the Eurocities Mobility Forum 2026. The discussions during the event in Rome highlighted how cities are concerned by long-distance rail developments and what they are doing to ensure EU citizens can move to a more sustainable mode of transport.
The debate was part of the second day of the event, under the title ‘Heritage nodes, future flows: shaping mobility in timeless cities’.
You can find our updated Eurocities-CER Joint Declaration on High-Speed Rail, with more than 30 mayors and CEOs of rail companies, here.
Read more about Eurocities’ position on ensuring funding for urban nodes in the next multi-financial framework (MFF) here.
