Brussels, Sept. 29, 2026 (Lusa) - The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called in Brussels on Tuesday for a «true transport union» and spoke about the Lisbon–Madrid challenge.
«Our infrastructure must adapt to a changing climate and a more dynamic world. The continent itself is changing, as new countries move closer to our Union. Therefore, we can do more than simply maintain what we have. We need to build the transport system for the coming decades. I believe it is time to build a genuine transport union,» said Ursula von der Leyen, speaking in Brussels at the Connecting Europe Days.
As she pointed out, to achieve this, the trans-European transport network must be realised – specifically a network of railways, waterways and roads linking ports and terminals, «eliminating bottlenecks between member states» For von der Leyen, what is on the table is transforming 27 national systems into a single «truly European» network, a process she said is already underway.
«Take Lisbon–Madrid, for example. Every day, around 40 flights connect these two capitals, which are just over 600 kilometres apart,» she pointed out, noting that this is partly due to the fact that a direct train service between the two cities is still in development.
However, he noted that this situation is changing with the construction of a high-speed line which will enable passengers to travel between Lisbon and Madrid in five hours by 2030 and in around three hours by 2034.
According to estimates from Brussels, building a European transport network could increase Europe's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2.4% by 2030, equivalent to €467 billion.
«I urge you all to continue the good work and complete the network as planned,» she emphasised.
The Connecting Europe Days, which run until 1 October and bring together politicians, representatives from the transport sector, industry and the European Commission, aim to discuss measures and best practices for a safer, more sustainable and more competitive transport sector in Europe.
*** Lusa travelled to Brussels at the invitation of the European Commission *** PE/ADB // ADB.
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