EU funding allocated for 2026 railway projects falls far short of requested amounts

The funding required for EU transport infrastructure exceeds the amounts allocated by the European Commission, according to a press release from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). CINEA announced that, by the October 6 deadline, it had received 246 applications under the CEF Transport 2026 calls. The co-financing requested for these projects totals nearly euro3 billion-2.69 times the available budget of approximately euro1.1 billion-highlighting the high demand for European funding. Based on the figures provided by CINEA, the available budget would cover approximately 37% of the requested amounts.

Romania is participating in this process with seven submitted applications, according to information from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure's website. In late September, Ministry representatives stated-as reported by the media-that one project targets the modernization of a 63-kilometer railway section between Segarcea and Calafat (estimated at euro75 million), while another involves upgrading 13.14 kilometers between Ulmeni and Buzău (estimated at euro35 million). The first proposal fell under the cohesion component, and the second under the military mobility component, according to CFR SA, the entity responsible for preparing the dossiers for submission to CINEA. Together, the two projects entail over 76 kilometers of railway and investments estimated at 110 million euros. The Ministry of Transport stated that these figures represent the estimated investment costs; the actual contribution requested via the CEF was to be determined upon the finalization of the applications.

The most significant projects are cross-border in nature, involving two railway investments prepared in cooperation with Bulgaria and Greece. The three countries' cooperation aims to develop connections along the Baltic Sea-Black Sea-Aegean Sea corridor and linked sections of the TEN-T network. It is based on the memorandum and action plan signed in Brussels on December 3, 2025, which establish a common framework for the preparation, financing, and implementation of cross-border investments. The economic significance of this approach is clear: the benefits of modernizing a line also depend on the capacity of neighboring countries' infrastructure to handle the traffic.

The Connecting Europe Facility funds links designed to transform national infrastructures into a functional European network, rather than the construction of isolated segments. The applications submitted to the European institution by October 6 target railways and inland waterways within the TEN-T core network, the electrification of road freight transport and airport operations, port electrical infrastructure, the retrofitting of vessels for alternative fuels, external border connections, the digitalization of road transport, and military mobility. Both public and private entities from the EU, associated countries, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova are eligible.

For instance, following a decision by the government led by Peter Magyar, Hungary submitted six projects for the CEF Transport Reflow call. These include preparations for a high-speed line connecting Budapest, Vienna, and Warsaw; dual-use (civil and military) adaptations at Budapest and Cologne airports; preparations for upgrading the Balatonszentgyörgy-Gyekenyes line; digital road infrastructure; four heavy-vehicle charging points at Tolmacs; and a joint study on a dual-use corridor. The source describes applications announced prior to the deadline without confirming the final registration of each one.

The funding decision will be made in 2027, after CINEA experts verify the admissibility and eligibility of the projects; eligible proposals will then be evaluated by independent experts, the European Commission, and the agency. Evaluation results are set to be announced in March 2027, with funding agreements for the selected projects expected to be signed by the end of June.