Poland, Germany and France launch joint push for cross-border rail upgrades and future high-speed links
Poland, Germany and France have launched a coordinated push to strengthen cross-border rail connectivity and develop future high-speed links, with a strong emphasis on security, resilience and military mobility, following a series of agreements and declarations signed in Warsaw in mid-February 2026.
On 16 February 2026, Poland and Germany signed a bilateral agreement on the modernisation and expansion of rail connections between the two countries, setting out a joint roadmap to increase passenger and freight services, shorten travel times and prepare the ground for future high-speed corridors.
Polish Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak and German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder described rail as a strategic element of their bilateral relationship and a cornerstone of cross-border mobility, territorial cohesion and regional security. Klimczak said the goal was "to create the most modern international high-speed network in the European Union, both in terms of infrastructure and rolling stock", adding that rail was playing an increasingly important role in European passenger transport and required comprehensive modernisation and expansion.
Schnieder argued that "Europe’s strength lies in cross-border mobility" and that rail should become "the backbone of our shared economic region" while also strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities.
Priority corridors and planned high-speed routes
The agreement identifies four priority corridors for upgrades and capacity improvements: the Warsaw–Berlin capital axis; the south-western corridor from Kraków via Wrocław and Zielona Góra to Berlin; the north-western Baltic route from Gdańsk via Szczecin to Berlin; and the south-eastern to central axis from Przemyśl via Kraków and Wrocław to Leipzig.
Beyond optimising existing lines, the two countries committed to jointly analyse the potential for new high-speed rail projects on three main routes: Warsaw–Poznań–Berlin; Warsaw–Wrocław–Leipzig–Frankfurt am Main; and Warsaw–Wrocław–Prague–Munich. The agreement also foresees coordination within the EU on infrastructure investment in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), including projects with dual civilian and military use, with a focus on fully exploiting EU funding instruments such as the Connecting Europe Facility in the 2028–2034 budget cycle.
Weimar Triangle expands cooperation to Warsaw–Berlin–Paris axis
The bilateral initiative was quickly expanded into a trilateral framework. On 17 February, the first-ever meeting of transport ministers from the Weimar Triangle, Poland, Germany and France, took place in Warsaw and Helenów, co-hosted with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Klimczak, Schnieder and French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot signed a joint declaration on further cooperation to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the EU transport system. The ministers stressed that transport infrastructure had become a strategic driver of Europe’s economy, supply-chain continuity and crisis response capability, linking mobility directly to security and defence readiness.
Rail, security and crisis resilience at the core of the agenda
Rail featured prominently in the trilateral agenda, with discussions on developing future high-speed rail connections between Warsaw, Berlin and Paris, improving interoperability and coordinating cross-border services. The declaration underscored the priority of coherent, interoperable dual-use civil–military transport links within the TEN-T network and highlighted the need for sustained EU-level infrastructure funding for both civilian and military mobility.
Tabarot framed the cooperation in explicitly strategic terms, noting that Poland, Germany and France—whose rail networks stretch from the Atlantic to the EU’s eastern borders—were uniquely positioned to shape the Union’s ability to ensure resilient and efficient mobility in crisis situations, while also supporting climate and industrial policy goals.
Schnieder echoed this, arguing that resilient dual-use infrastructure was crucial for Europe’s defence preparedness and welcoming the European Commission’s military mobility initiative, while calling for streamlined EU planning and permitting procedures.