Connecting Europe Express is one of the most emblematic initiatives of the European Year of the Rail. In autumn, this train will cross Europe, from Lisbon to Athens, Warsaw, Stockholm, and finally Paris, via more than 40 cities in 26 different European countries. Herald Ruijters, Director of the Directorate for Investments, Innovative and Sustainable Transport in the DG MOVE of the European Commission, joins our fifth episode to tell us more about this initiative, aimed to connecting citizens, strengthen territorial cohesion and promoting the use of rail in cross-border journeys. 

  

Trains are the perfect substitutes for short distance flights but for making them competitive and attractive to people, it is crucial to improve the cross-border railway connections and to create a truly integrated European railway network. This is the objective of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), some of whose projects -like the train connecting the Baltic states with Poland or Lisbon with Madrid and France-  will see the light during the second half of this decade. 

  

With Slaven Klobucar, from the The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation of the CoR, we discuss about the importance of getting public entities from different territories together in order to overcome common obstacles, share experiences and facilitate cooperation. 

  

Did you know that the pioneers of electronic music, the German band Kraftwerk, named one of his albums after the mythic first-class train founded in 1957 that during four decades connected 130 cities in Europe: The Trans Europe Express? Get on board, we'll take you on a 20.000 km journey through the continent, from Portugal to Estonia, via almost 30 countries!  

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