Rail – studies, works or mixed
EU funding for rail infrastructure projects on TEN-T core network focusing on cross-border links and high-speed rail development.
This call funds rail infrastructure projects on the TEN-T core network. It supports construction, upgrading, and studies of cross-border and missing links. Priority is given to projects promoting high-speed rail and intermodal connections.
Likely relevant for
- Rail infrastructure developers
- Transport authorities
- Engineering and construction firms
- High-speed rail project planners
Project signals
What it funds
- Construction or upgrading of cross-border and missing rail links on TEN-T core network
- Interconnections between rail and inland waterway or maritime transport
- Integration of high-speed rail with air networks for sustainable feeder connections
Expected outcomes
- Improved cross-border rail connectivity
- Enhanced multimodal transport integration
- Development of high-speed rail aligned with EU policy
Who can apply / participate
- Public and private entities involved in rail infrastructure projects
- Consortia including relevant stakeholders
- Consortium formation rules detailed in call document
- Projects must be located on TEN-T core network (extended core network projects not eligible)
- Projects must comply with Directive (EU) 2016/797 and related Technical Specifications for Interoperability
- No support for railway stations except infrastructure components presented separately
- No support for track side ERTMS, electronic interlockings, Class A radio communication, Class B systems, or rolling stock
- Specific consortium size and composition requirements
- Exact eligible applicant types beyond general public/private entities
Must check before shortlisting
- Eligibility of project location on TEN-T core network only
- Exclusion of track side ERTMS and certain communication systems
- Separate work packages if combining studies and works
Money
Total budget of approximately EUR 260 million for 2026 under CEF Infrastructure Projects.
- Total available budget — 260000000EURFor the year 2026
Application notes
- Single-stage submission model.
- Proposal page limits and layout as per call document and application form
- Eligibility and admissibility conditions detailed in call document sections 5 and 6
- Financial and operational capacity requirements in call document section 7
- Evaluation criteria and process described in call document sections 8 and 9
- Legal and financial grant setup in call document section 10
- Prepare proposal following call document and application form templates
- Submit proposal via Funding & Tenders Portal by deadline
- Ensure compliance with eligibility and admissibility conditions
- Include separate work packages if combining studies and works
- Projects must be on TEN-T core network only
- No support for certain railway components as specified
- Facilities must be accessible non-discriminatorily
Derived from official EU Funding portal source · updated 2 Jul 2026, 08:10 UTC. Use this as a shortlisting aid; the official call text remains authoritative.
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Official source text
Fine print from the EU source record. Expand when you need the original wording.
Topic description
Objective: The objective of this call is to develop rail transport infrastructure projects on the TEN-T core[1] network. Scope: Works and / or studies related to: Construction/upgrading of cross-border and missing links; Interconnections between rail and other modes of transport, namely inland waterway and maritime transport (including port hinterland connections) and projects aimed at the integration of the high-speed rail and air networks to make the feeder network for long-haul flights more sustainable. Priority will be given to projects fostering the development of high-speed rail in line with the Commission communication on high-speed rail [2]. Support will not be given to railway stations, except for railway infrastructure components. If the project includes such components, they shall be presented as a separate work package. Support will not be given to track side ERTMS deployment, electronic interlockings and/or Class A radio communication (5G/FRMCS/GSM-R) components. Support will not be given to activities related to the Class B systems nor to rolling stock. Projects shall comply with the provisions of Directive (EU) 2016/797 [3] and with the related Technical Specifications for Interoperability. Where relevant, projects shall also be compatible with the alignment of operating procedures across borders to ensure the most effective use of the supported infrastructure. In case a proposal combines studies and works components, these must address different sections / activities. Facilities and infrastructure supported under CEF must be accessible for use by all operators on a non-discriminatory basis. [1] For the purpose of this call, project proposals located on the extended core network are not eligible. [2] COM(2025) 903 final of 5 November 2025. [3] Directive (EU) 2016/797 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union (OJ L 138, 26.5.2016, p. 44) which replaces Directive 2008/57/EC as of 31 October 2020.
Conditions and documents
Conditions
1. Admissibility conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in section 5 of the call document.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible countries
described in section 6 of the call document.
3. Other eligibility conditions
described in section 6 of the call document.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion
described in section 7 of the call document.
5a. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes
described section 8 of the call document and the Online Manual.
5b. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds
described in section 9 of the call document.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement
described in section 4 of the call document.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants
described in section 10 of the call document.
Call document and annexes:
Application form templates
Standard application form — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Additional documents:
Amended Work Programme 2021-2027 - 5 June 2026
EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Decision on unit costs for SME owners
Decision on unit costs for personnel (usual cost accounting practices)
Support information
For help related to this call, please contact CINEA-CEF-TRANSPORT-CALLS@ec.europa.eu Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – Submission of proposals . IT Helpdesk – Contact the IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc. Online Manual – Step-by-step online guide through the Portal processes from proposal preparation and evaluation to reporting on your ongoing project. Valid for all 2021-2027 programmes
Raw budget overview
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"plannedOpeningDate": "2026-06-18",
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