A new integrated rail network designed to open up Europe to the world through enhanced travel experience has been delayed yet again, according to a decision taken by the European Commission. The project, slated for completion in 2020, was originally intended to overhaul the continent’s railway infrastructure to ensure more seamless, high-speed travel between cities and countries.
The ambitious endeavor was initially set to launch in 2025, but the pandemic-induced economic downturn led to a new schedule of completion set for 2026. The implementation of such a system is seen as vital to the revitalization of international tourism in Europe post-pandemic, with the promise of improved quality of train transportation, particularly in the region’s most visited tourist sites such as London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin.
However, the Commission has now announced that the delays to the project will continue, with completion pushed back yet again to 2025. This has been attributed to various factors, including the implementation of technological changes required for the upgrade of the systems. The decision has been met with dismay from tourism groups, who are relying on when the system is eventually complete to help bring back essential levels of foreign visitors to Europe’s cities and beauty spots.
Industry representatives have aired their concerns of dwindling levels of travel into the region if the travel system is not up and running by the proposed date. The Commission has sought to reassure the worried tourism groups, insisting that the delays were necessary to ensure the success of the project.
Despite many plans to facilitate the speedy recovery of tourism, these delays demonstrate the difficulties of the task in the face of a pandemic-ravaged economy and potentially slower than anticipated adoption of new technologies. However, with the new timetable in place, travel companies and airlines can start to look ahead to the potential of a brand-new continent-wide rail network to bring about a much-needed boost to the European travel industry.