The PKP Group, Deutsche Bahn, and SNCF have signed a joint declaration on intensifying cooperation to strengthen safety and quality standards in European rail transport, both passenger and freight.
The document was signed on February 17 in Helenów (Masovian Voivodeship) on the sidelines of the meeting of transport ministers from the Weimar Triangle countries.
Focus on cross-border connections and the TEN-T network
The declaration provides for the development of cooperation to improve the cross-border rail network connecting Poland with Germany and France, as well as support for the European Union’s action plan for high-speed trains.
The signatories emphasize that the development of fast and reliable connections is essential for:
- economic growth,
- citizen mobility,
- strengthening Europe’s territorial cohesion.
The document also includes a call to the European Commission to:
- simplify regulations on military mobility,
- establish uniform infrastructure requirements for strategic corridors,
- ensure a stable framework for investment financing.
The three companies support the continued expansion of the TEN-T network, increasing line capacity, and facilitating access to modern rolling stock.
CEF must be strengthened
The signatories welcome the consensus on maintaining the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), but consider it necessary to increase funding in the EU’s future multiannual financial framework.
This position comes at a time when the costs of completing the core TEN-T network are estimated at hundreds of billions of EUR and competition for European funds is becoming increasingly intense.
“Rail transport, both freight and passenger, must play an even more important role in Europe’s resilience, sustainable development, and competitiveness. The signing of this trilateral declaration between the Polish, German, and French railways is a new step in this direction. We are determined to make rail the most accessible, safe, resilient, and environmentally friendly mode of transport in Europe—the first choice for passengers and freight operators in the European Union,” said Alan Beroud, President of PKP S.A.
Strategic context
The initiative has particular political significance, as it was launched as part of cooperation between Poland, Germany, and France at a time when:
- transport infrastructure is increasingly linked to military mobility,
- the eastern EU is gaining strategic importance,
- and pressure to decarbonize transport is growing.
With this declaration, the three major European railway groups are trying to send a clear message: network integration and coordinated investment must become a priority at the EU level.
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