Rail – studies, works or mixed
Funding for rail infrastructure projects on TEN-T core network including cross-border links and intermodal connections.
This call funds rail infrastructure projects on the TEN-T core network. It supports construction, upgrading, and studies for cross-border and missing links. Priority is given to high-speed rail development and intermodal connections with waterways and air transport.
Likely relevant for
- Rail infrastructure developers
- Transport infrastructure planners
- Cross-border transport projects
- High-speed rail projects
- Intermodal transport integration
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, maritime transport, and air networks
- Integration of high-speed rail with other transport modes
- Studies and works related to rail infrastructure projects
Expected outcomes
- Improved cross-border rail connectivity
- Enhanced intermodal transport integration
- Development of sustainable high-speed rail feeder networks
- Rail infrastructure accessible to all operators on a non-discriminatory basis
Who can apply / participate
- Unclear or not stated in provided text; see call document
- Unclear or not stated; check call document for consortium requirements
- Eligible countries described in call document section 6
- 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 deployment, electronic interlockings, Class A radio communication components
- No support for Class B systems or rolling stock
- Exact applicant eligibility criteria
- Consortium composition and size requirements
- Funding rates and co-financing details
Must check before shortlisting
- Eligibility of applicant types and countries
- Specific exclusions such as railway stations (except infrastructure components)
- Compliance with interoperability and technical specifications
- Budget and funding rate details
- Consortium requirements
Money
Total budget of approximately EUR 350 million for 2026 for rail infrastructure projects under this call.
- Total budget for 2026 — 350000000EURBudget allocated for rail infrastructure projects under this call
Application notes
- Single-stage submission model.
- Proposal page limits and layout as described in call document section 5 and application form Part B.
- Eligibility conditions detailed in call document section 6.
- Financial and operational capacity requirements in call document section 7.
- Evaluation and award criteria and process in call document sections 8 and 9.
- Legal and financial set-up described in call document section 10.
- Call document and annexes including application templates and economic appraisal guides.
- Prepare proposal following page limits and layout requirements.
- Ensure eligibility of applicant and project according to call document.
- Submit proposal via Funding & Tenders Portal before deadline.
- Use provided application form templates and supporting documents.
- Follow evaluation and award procedures as per call document and online manual.
- Check exclusions such as no support for railway stations except infrastructure components.
- Ensure compliance with interoperability directives and technical specifications.
- Separate work packages required if combining studies and works.
- Facilities must be accessible on a non-discriminatory basis.
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.
Related calls
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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.
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
CINEA Guide for Economic Appraisal for CEF Projects
DG REGIO CBA Economic Appraisal Vademecum
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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