EU nations risk losing ‘billions’ in rail funds if they fail to act before 2026 deadline, UNIFE warns

UNIFE has issued a stark warning that EU member states could be leaving billions of euros in rail funding on the table if they do not complete “necessary milestones and targets” by August 2026 – the deadline for the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Its message to EU countries? Engage with the Commission, and quickly…

According to UNIFE, Europe’s leading rail supply industry association, EU nations across the bloc are at risk of missing out on significant funds to upgrade their rail networks and rolling stock fleets as the deadline for tapping into the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) draws closer.

The EU’s RRF, a 723.8 billion euros fund launched in 2021, has so far provided up to 650 billion euros in grants and low-interest loans to support economic recovery, sustainability, and digital transition across the bloc following the pandemic. A significant portion of these funds – more than half of the 87 billion euros allocated to sustainable mobility – has been directed towards railway projects at both urban and mainline levels.

All EU states have capitalised on these funds in some form or other, with many successfully doing so to boost their national rail networks; I…